KOTA KINABALU: The mother of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir does not believe that her only child jumped from the third floor of the school building, saying the teenager was cheerful, strong and not one to give up easily despite facing provocation.
Noraidah Lamat, 46, said this when questioned by lawyer Datuk Ram Singh, who represents one of the teenagers charged in connection with the bullying case involving Zara Qairina, during the inquest into the teenager's death at the Coroner's Court here on Friday (Oct 9).
Ram referred to expert testimony given during earlier proceedings in the inquest which, he said, indicated that Zara Qairina had not been pushed and that there was a possibility she had jumped voluntarily.
Noraidah said she did not believe her daughter would have made such a decision, based on Zara Qairina's character as she knew her while raising her.
"I do not believe Zara Qairina would have made such a decision. To me, Zara Qairina was a cheerful, strong child who would not give up easily, no matter what provocation others subjected her to," she said before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.
Asked to explain what she meant by provocation, Noraidah said: "It refers to the taunts, bullying and names they called her throughout her time at the hostel."
In her testimony, Noraidah also dismissed the possibility that Zara Qairina had concealed emotional distress from her, saying she had not noticed any changes in her daughter's behaviour before the incident.
She said that based on her telephone conversations with Zara Qairina on July 13 and 14 last year, her daughter had shown no signs of emotional distress, although she continued to recount the taunts and names used by senior students at the hostel during their conversations.
Noraidah said that during their telephone call on July 14, Zara Qairina was still cheerful and excited when talking about a 'Kak Badar' named Wana, who wanted to meet her that night.
Regarding the investigation into her daughter's death, Noraidah claimed that the police had never provided her with clear information, adding that her WhatsApp messages to the investigating officer had also gone unanswered.
Meanwhile, Noraidah said she was unaware of the fundraising campaign allegedly carried out nationwide under the Justice for Zara (JFZ) initiative, as the matter had never been discussed with her or brought to her attention.
Regarding the Justice for Zara billboards erected in several districts in Sabah, Noraidah said she knew they existed but had never been informed who put them up or funded them.
Zara Qairina died at Hospital Queen Elizabeth on July 17, 2025, a day after she was found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in the early hours of the morning. – Bernama
