Kota kinabalu: A teacher at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha revealed to the Coroner's Court today that the internal investigation report regarding the Zara Qairina Mahathir case was never shared with any external party, including the school's principal, but was instead stored within the school's disciplinary unit.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Assistant Head of Discipline, Nurul Syahadah Ibrahim, 38, confirmed that the report was not submitted to the District Education Office, State Education Department, Ministry of Education Malaysia, Royal Malaysia Police, or the school principal. Nurul Syahadah acknowledged that it was an oversight not to have informed the principal, emphasizing that it was crucial for the principal to be aware of all school-related incidents.
In response to lawyer Clarice Vyone Conrad, who represented Zara Qairina's father, the witness admitted that the report should have been submitted to the principal, regardless of the circumstances. She explained that the report was kept confidential within the disciplinary unit and was considered an internal document. Nurul Syahadah further mentioned that the principal was not given a copy as she was no longer present at the school.
Clarice questioned the teacher about the timeline regarding the principal's departure from the school. Nurul Syahadah confirmed that the principal had left since August, while the report was dated July 16 and 17, a period when the principal was still present. She admitted to overlooking the submission due to being focused on the internal investigation.
The witness reiterated that the report was intended for internal records and not for external authorities, but conceded that she would provide it to the police if requested. The internal investigation had been conducted in July and August through interviews and written statements from several students, including those last seen with Zara Qairina.
The proceedings were cut short due to the upcoming Sabah state election, with the inquest set to continue on Monday. Zara Qairina, aged 13, was declared dead at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, after being found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory at 4 am on July 16.