Kota Kinabalu: A registered counsellor and child psychologist told the Coroner’s Court on Tuesday that she found no indication that Zara Qairina Mahathir had engaged in psychological "masking" after reviewing her life history.
Dr Noor Aishah Rosli, the 76th witness in the inquest before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan, said she reached that conclusion after examining Zara's background from birth until the final period of her life while responding to questions from counsel Shahlan Jufri.
Noor Aishah explained that masking refers to a person consciously concealing behaviours or characteristics that make them different from others, adding that it is most commonly associated with individuals with high-functioning autism who attempt to appear typical in social settings.
She also told the court that masking is generally identified through a person's developmental history and social behaviour, noting that individuals who engage in masking often become mentally exhausted after social interactions because of the effort involved in suppressing their natural behaviour.
Responding to a suggestion that masking is common among adolescents, Noor Aishah disagreed, saying it is not typical among children or teenagers generally and reiterating that she found no evidence that Zara had engaged in masking, before the inquest was adjourned to continue.
