Kota Kinabalu: A consultant psychiatrist told the Coroner’s Court that the “golden time” to intervene and help Zara Qairina Mahathir may have been missed after she became isolated following a confrontation with a group of students on the night of July 15, 2025.
Continuing his testimony at the inquest on Thursday, Dr Wong Haw Huo said there was no evidence in Zara’s writings of organised suicide planning before the incident, describing the events of July 15 as an acute crisis triggered by repeated humiliation, isolation and group confrontation.
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Dr Wong said witness statements indicated Zara cried while trying to prove her innocence but was not comforted before locking herself inside a toilet cubicle, where she remained alone late into the night, adding that three students later saw her briefly peek out before leaving and that a senior allegedly did not respond after being informed of her presence.
He told the court this was the “golden time” for intervention, saying Zara appeared to be waiting for someone to approach, listen and reassure her, and described her as ambivalent, confused and overwhelmed.
Dr Wong also testified that Zara’s reported remarks, including “I want to change school” and “How does it feel if I jump off?”, should be assessed in the context of the events of July 15, which he described as the “last straw” with a close temporal relationship to the fatal outcome.
