Kota kinabalu: A discipline teacher today told the Coroner's Court here that a ragging culture does exist among senior students at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the admission came from the school's disciplinary unit secretary, Muliati Alihuddin, 42, who is the 56th witness, during questioning by Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan at the inquest into the death of Form One student, Zara Qairina Mahathir.

When asked about the general level of student discipline, Muliati explained that issues typically involve mobile phones, which are prohibited, and other minor disciplinary concerns like students skipping Subuh prayers and improper personal appearance. She noted that the Zara Qairina case was the most serious incident the school had faced.

The court further inquired about the presence of ragging among students. Muliati confirmed that it usually involved male students performing light tasks for seniors, although there were no reports of ragging among female students.

The discussion also touched on disciplinary measures such as caning. While previously implemented, only the Senior Assistant for Student Affairs is currently authorized to cane students. Muliati expressed a belief that caning might be appropriate, suggesting that the softer approach has not been effective.

Zara Qairina was confirmed dead at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, a day after being found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory. The inquest into her death is set to continue tomorrow.