KOTA KINABALU: The stepsister of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir told the Coroner's Court that she never lived with the teenager and had no first-hand knowledge of how Zara Qairina's mother cared for and raised her.
Malianah Mahathir, 25, the 81st witness, said she only knew of Zara Qairina's life and family from social media posts as well as information from her father.
When questioned by lawyer Shahlan Jufri, who represents Zara Qairina's mother, Malianah said she had seen photographs of the family through the Facebook accounts of Zara Qairina, her mother and her father.
"I only saw them through Facebook posts. I used to stalk their photos all the time. A happy family, right?" she said before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan during Tuesday's (Oct 6) inquest proceedings.
She said her father often uploaded family photographs, including ones of Zara Qairina as a baby and pictures of holidays they took together.
When answering questions from Coroner Amir Shah, Malianah confirmed that she had never met or interacted personally with Zara Qairina at any point between the teenager's birth and her death.
She also acknowledged that all the information she knew about Zara Qairina was obtained from what others had told her, and not from the teenager herself.
Malianah further agreed that her testimony in court concerning unpleasant experiences she had endured was related to Zara Qairina's mother, and not to experiences with Zara Qairina herself.
The Coroner then asked whether Zara Qairina's mother had treated her badly every day throughout the period they lived together, to which Malianah replied: "Ah, no."
When questioned by lawyer Nurul Rafeeqa Afdul Mutolip, who represents Zara Qairina's father, Malianah also admitted that when she first moved in with Zara Qairina's mother, she was initially happy to have a "new mum" and had been treated well.
Zara Qairina died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, a day after the Form One student was found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel at 4am.
The inquest proceedings resume tomorrow with new witnesses. - Bernama
