By Julia Chan
Friday, 12 Sep 2025 12:13 PM MYT
KOTA KINABALU, Sept 12 — A security guard at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar told the Coroner’s Court here today that Zara Qairina Mahathir had been accused of stealing money the night before she was found unconscious.
The inquest into the 13-year-old’s death heard these accounts as reports of allegations and reactions, and not as confirmation that the theft actually occurred.
Linah Mansoding @Jaliha said she had heard from students that Zara Qairina was believed to have taken RM300 and a bank card from a peer.
“On the night before the incident, one of the students realised her money was missing, some RM300 and her bank card were stolen. At that point, she didn’t name who she thought had taken her money.
“I also heard Ustaz Rizani asked to see Zara Qairina’s dormitory head. Later on, after the incident, I heard that Zara Qairina was the one accused of stealing the money,” she said.
Lawyer Shahlan Jufri asked how Ustaz Rizani had learned about the stolen money.
Linah replied: “The student complained to one of the seniors. She said Zara Qairina had taken her money.”
Zara Qairina was discovered unconscious on the ground floor of her dormitory at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar in the early hours of July 16.
Medical experts later confirmed that she died from traumatic brain injury consistent with a fall from height.
When asked how the Form Four students became involved, she explained that each dormitory of Form One students had Form Four “caretakers” assigned to them.
The court heard that the Form Four students would conduct “MA” presumably the abbreviation for “Mesyuarat Agung” (High Council) summoning their juniors for perceived misconducts like disrespect, behavioural issues or even not smiling at them when they pass by.
“Students would talk about how they ‘kena MA’ (were called for a ‘meeting’) for this and that, and were told off for even their clothing,” she said.
Linah said that such meetings were discouraged by Form Five students but could not confirm whether they were still ongoing or whether teachers knew about them.
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, 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 scold or 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 5 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 she last heard of an MA was before the PKP (movement control order during the Covid-19 lockdown).
Shahlan: Do you think there’s a possibility that Zara Qairina “kena MA” because of the accusation of stealing money?
Linah: Maybe.