Zara Qairina inquest: Coroner told of secret ‘Mesyuarat Agung’ sessions at Papar boarding school where seniors disciplined juniors

Zara Qairina inquest: Coroner told of secret ‘Mesyuarat Agung’ sessions at Papar boarding school where seniors disciplined juniors



A view of the Sabah boarding school for girls, SMKA Tun Datu Muspha Limauan, in Papar, where13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir was found unconscious and bleeding on the ground floor in the early morning hours of July 16, 2025.

Friday, 12 Sep 2025 6:42 PM MYT


KOTA KINABALU, Sept 12 — The Coroner’s Court today heard that it was possible 13-year-old SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha student Zara Qairina Mahathir might have been “summoned” to a so-called “student high council” session, known among boarders by the abbreviation “MA” – a Malay abbreviation for “Mesyuarat Agung” or general meeting.

Testifying at the inquest, hostel security guard Linah Mansoding @ Jaliha, 65, explained that the Papar boarding school students sometimes practise the “MA” where older ones would call in their juniors for informal disciplinary sessions.


“The juniors are sometimes summoned if they are seen as being disrespectful to the seniors, like not smiling or greeting when they pass by. The purpose is to reprimand or advise them,” she said.

She said that such sessions were essentially “illegal meetings” created by the seniors and were not sanctioned by teachers.


“Students would talk about how they kena MA (were called for a meeting) for this and that, and were told off even for their clothing,” Linah said.

Earlier today, the court was told that Zara Qairina had been accused of stealing some RM300 and a bank card from a schoolmate, but the Coroner’s Court has yet to look into the veracity of this allegation.

Under questioning from Shahlan Jufri, the lawyer representing Zara Qairina’s mother, Linah said she was sure if such “MA” were still being held.


She added that it was a possibility that the 13-year-old had been confronted with the allegations.

Shahlan: Are you familiar with the word MA?

Linah: Yes.

Shahlan: What does it mean?

Linah: Perjumpaan haram (illegal meetings). At first, I didn’t even know what it meant. It’s something the seniors came up with. It had already been prohibited before and is said to be not allowed.

From what I know, it’s been around since about early March 2017.

Shahlan: So what happens during MA?

Linah: The juniors are usually called if they are seen as being disrespectful to the seniors, for example not smiling or greeting when they pass by. The purpose is to reprimand them.

Shahlan: So, it’s like seniors calling juniors for an illegal meeting?

Linah: Yes, more like to correct them. They would say things like “don’t do this, don’t do that.”

Shahlan: Why was it prohibited?

Linah: Because the seniors were acting on their own accord. They can’t simply call juniors to discipline them. If there’s an issue, it should be reported to the teachers, so the teachers can take necessary action. The teachers themselves didn’t really know about these MA sessions.

Shahlan: If the teachers didn’t know, how was MA banned?

Linah: The Form Five seniors told the younger ones not to do it anymore and to just report matters to teachers. That’s how I heard it was prohibited.

Shahlan: And after juniors were called for MA, what usually happened?

Linah: Among themselves, they would talk — “Eh, why did you get called for MA?” Sometimes it was because of clothing issues, sometimes for “attitude”.

Shahlan: When was the last time you heard about it?

Linah: Quite a long time ago, none recently.

Shahlan: Did some teachers know about it?

Linah: Maybe, I’m not sure.

Linah said the last she heard of an MA at the school was before the Covid-19 movement control order in 2020.

Shahlan: Do you think there’s a possibility that Zara Qairina “kena MA” because of the accusation of stealing money?

Linah: Maybe.