Zara’s mum chokes up as voice recording plays during inquest

A gathering of 42 audio recordings filled the Kota Kinabalu coroner's court as the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir unfolded. Among them, 35 were candid exchanges between the 15-year-old student and her mother, Noraidah Lamat, who appeared emotionally drained during the playback. The court heard snippets of Zara's cheerful and affectionate voice discussing school life, test scores, hostel experiences, friendships, and queries about her mother's whereabouts. One recording concluded with Zara expressing love for her mother and bidding her farewell.

Noraidah, 46, described the recordings as a reflection of their daily conversations, be it at home or over the phone. She shared that they frequently discussed their lives. The coroner expressed that the mother and daughter often shared numerous aspects of their lives, making the recordings a treasure trove of their relationship.

The inquest also heard recordings of Noraidah's discussions with various individuals, including her colleagues, Zara's teachers, and medical staff from the emergency ward. All these phone conversations were automatically recorded by Noraidah's mobile phone. Upon losing her daughter, Noraidah listened to these recordings repeatedly to recall the names mentioned by Zara during their talks.

Noraidah kept all the recordings on her laptop since the beginning. Tragically, Zara passed away at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, a day after being found unconscious near a drain at her school's hostel in the early hours. The inquest is scheduled to resume the following day.