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Zara complained of sexual harassment at school dorm, says witness
Assistant head of discipline Nurul Syahadah Ibrahim says the school's disciplinary unit later concluded that it was a misunderstanding
Zara Qairina Mahathir died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, on July 17, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar. (Facebook pic) (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: A teacher at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha told the Kota Kinabalu coroner’s court today that Zara Qairina Mahathir had made a complaint about sexual harassment that allegedly occurred while she was sleeping in the dormitory at the school.
Assistant head of discipline Nurul Syahadah Ibrahim said the disciplinary unit received the complaint on March 14, about a month after Zara had registered at the school, Bernama reported.
Syahadah, 38, said Zara had claimed that a Form 2 student had acted inappropriately towards her while she was asleep in her room at the dormitory.
“However, our investigation found that the student had only sniffed the blanket she was using before taking it to be washed,” she was quoted as saying.
“After recording written statements and interviewing the students involved, the disciplinary unit concluded that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding, and that the student had no inappropriate intention.”
Syahadah said she even asked the student to demonstrate how she sniffed the blanket.
Asked by lawyer Ram Singh, representing one of the five teenagers accused of bullying Zara, whether she believed the student was sincere, she replied, “yes”.
Asked whether she believed Zara’s complaint, she said the disciplinary unit required additional evidence because Zara had allegedly been asleep at the time.
“We needed evidence from her roommates, namely Student A and the Form 2 student. At that time, Student A was folding her clothes,” she said.
On another allegation that a senior student known as Kak M had told Zara, “If I touch you, you will bleed”, Syahadah clarified that the student was not a gangster.
She said the remark arose after Zara and another student allegedly body-shamed Kak M’s younger sister by calling her “chipsmore” due to a mole on her lips.
Syahadah also confirmed the existence of a group called “Circle 19” at the school, whose members remain enrolled but were barred from forming factions.
She acknowledged that the group used obscene language, but was unsure whether this warranted a police report.
Ram later lodged a report at the Luyang police station, urging action against the group and the school.
Zara died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar.
The inquest continues.
Assistant head of discipline Nurul Syahadah Ibrahim said the disciplinary unit received the complaint on March 14, about a month after Zara had registered at the school, Bernama reported.
Syahadah, 38, said Zara had claimed that a Form 2 student had acted inappropriately towards her while she was asleep in her room at the dormitory.
“However, our investigation found that the student had only sniffed the blanket she was using before taking it to be washed,” she was quoted as saying.
“After recording written statements and interviewing the students involved, the disciplinary unit concluded that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding, and that the student had no inappropriate intention.”
Syahadah said she even asked the student to demonstrate how she sniffed the blanket.
Asked by lawyer Ram Singh, representing one of the five teenagers accused of bullying Zara, whether she believed the student was sincere, she replied, “yes”.
Asked whether she believed Zara’s complaint, she said the disciplinary unit required additional evidence because Zara had allegedly been asleep at the time.
“We needed evidence from her roommates, namely Student A and the Form 2 student. At that time, Student A was folding her clothes,” she said.
On another allegation that a senior student known as Kak M had told Zara, “If I touch you, you will bleed”, Syahadah clarified that the student was not a gangster.
She said the remark arose after Zara and another student allegedly body-shamed Kak M’s younger sister by calling her “chipsmore” due to a mole on her lips.
Syahadah also confirmed the existence of a group called “Circle 19” at the school, whose members remain enrolled but were barred from forming factions.
She acknowledged that the group used obscene language, but was unsure whether this warranted a police report.
Ram later lodged a report at the Luyang police station, urging action against the group and the school.
Zara died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar.
The inquest continues.
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