KOTA KINABALU: A perceived child-parent conflict was not a direct factor that led to the death of 13-year-old student Zara Qairina Mahathir, the Coroner’s Court was told on Thursday (May 21).
Consultant forensic psychiatrist at Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang, Dr Chua Sze Hung, 43, stated that the conflict was instead classified as a predisposing or indirect factor in his psychiatric evaluation regarding her death.
"I would like to highlight that the perceived child-parent conflict is not a direct factor in this case. The direct factor here, in my opinion, is the stressful interrogation and the isolation that morning or night,” he said.
The 67th witness said this when replying to questions from the conducting officer, Deputy Public Prosecutor Dacia Jane Romanus, before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.
Elaborating on the assessment of the victim's internal mental state, Dr Chua explained that verbal interaction alone is a less accurate indicator, as adolescents tend to mask their distress to conform, frequently presenting a "false self" outwardly.
"In contrast, the diary is a true, genuine self-representation, free of social, psychological, and interpersonal pressure and judgment. It is the raw, private, unfiltered self,” he added.
During cross-examination by counsel Datuk Rizwandean M Borhan, who is representing Zara Qairina's mother, Dr Chua agreed that on Thursday was his first time hearing 35 audio conversations recorded between the deceased and her mother from March 6 to July 10 last year.
When Rizwandean asked if the audio clips were valuable primary data to assess their relationship, the expert maintained that verbal interactions are less material compared to the victim's diaries.
He noted that the audios are verbal communications that could be influenced by the projection of a false self and various psychological defence mechanisms, although he acknowledged there could be moments of genuine affection and that child-parent conflicts are normally episodic.
Rizwandean also questioned whether Dr Chua and his team had declined to view videos, photographs, and audios offered by the mother and her lawyer during an interview session.
Dr Chua clarified that they did not decline the materials but decided that the available information was already sufficient, particularly considering the presence of the diaries, which were more representative and free from the contamination of a false self.
Zara Qairina died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, a day after being found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory at around 4am.
On Aug 8, 2025, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) issued an order to exhume the girl’s body for a post-mortem, followed by an order for an inquest on Aug 13 after a review of the police investigation report.
The inquest continues on Friday (May 22).- Bernama
