KOTA KINABALU, Oct 8 — Emotions ran high in the Coroner’s Court here today as the cheerful voice of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir, speaking affectionately to her mother, echoed through the courtroom during the inquest into the Form One student’s death.

The victim’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, 46, the 81st witness in the proceedings, appeared visibly emotional and choked up as she listened to the recording of her conversation with her only child before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.

A total of 42 audio recordings were submitted as evidence, 35 of which captured conversations between Zara Qairina and her mother while the teenager was still alive.

Throughout the recordings, Zara Qairina could be heard speaking cheerfully and affectionately as she shared various aspects of her daily life with her mother.

The conversations included her school activities, test results, life in the hostel, friends and her questions about her mother’s whereabouts.

In one of the recordings, Zara Qairina could also be heard expressing her affection for her mother, saying, “Ma, I love you... Bye Raa...”

Questioned by lawyer Shahlan Jufri, who represented her, Noraidah confirmed that the recording was of a conversation between her and her daughter.

Noraidah told the court that the recordings reflected the way they communicated daily, whether at home or over the telephone.

“Yes…That was how we spoke every day, whether at home or over the telephone. I spoke to Zara Qairina as a mother, and I was also her friend,” she said, adding that they often shared various aspects of their lives.

Apart from the conversations between mother and daughter, the court also heard recordings of Noraidah’s communications with several other parties, including her colleagues, the victim’s school teachers and medical staff at the emergency ward.

Noraidah said all the telephone conversations had been automatically recorded by her mobile phone.

She said that after losing her daughter, she listened to the recordings again to identify the names of individuals mentioned by Zara Qairina during their conversations.

“I listened to these recordings again to identify the names Zara Qairina mentioned, and I had kept all the recordings on my laptop from the beginning,” she said.

Zara Qairina died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital here on July 17, 2025, a day after she was found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in the early hours.

The inquest continues tomorrow with the same witness. — Bernama