‘A happy family?’: Zara Qairina’s stepsister says she never met teen, but regularly viewed photos on social media

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 6 — Malianah Mahathir, the stepsister of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir, testified in the Coroner's Court that she never lived with the teenager and never had firsthand knowledge of how Zara Qairina's mother cared for and raised her. The 25-year-old provided information about Zara Qairina's life and family mainly through social media posts and details from her father.

When questioned by Shahlan Jufri, who represented Zara Qairina's mother, Malianah admitted that she only saw photographs of the family through Facebook accounts. She stated, "I only saw them through Facebook posts. I used to stalk their photos all the time. A happy family, right?" Malianah confirmed that she never met or interacted personally with Zara Qairina between the teenager's birth and her death.

All the information she possessed about Zara Qairina was gained from others, not directly from the teenager. The Coroner asked whether Zara Qairina's mother treated her badly every day while living together, to which Malianah responded, "Ah, no." When questioned by Nurul Rafeeqa Afdul Mutolip, who represented Zara Qairina's father, Malianah admitted that she initially felt happy to have a "new mum" when she first moved in with Zara Qairina's mother, but the treatment changed over time. The inquest proceedings are expected to resume the next day with new witnesses.