{
  "id": 12868289,
  "title": "Zara’s mum chokes up as voice recording plays during inquest",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/zaras-mum-chokes-up-as-voice-recording-plays-during-inquest",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-08T12:07:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/10/08/zara-s-mum-chokes-up-as-voice-recording-plays-during-inquest"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a deeply emotional scene in the Kota Kinabalu coroner's court, Zara Qairina Mahathir's voice filled the room as she spoke affectionately to her mother, Noraidah Lamat. The inquest into the Form One student's death revealed that 42 audio recordings, including 35 conversations between Zara and her mother, were submitted as evidence.\n\nNoraidah, 46, appeared visibly emotional as she listened to the recording of her conversation with her only child before coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan. The recordings captured Zara's cheerful and affectionate nature, as she shared details about her daily life, including school activities, test results, hostel life, friendships, and questions about her mother's whereabouts.\n\nOne poignant recording featured Zara saying, \"Ma, I love you... Bye Raa...\". Noraidah explained that the recordings reflected their daily communication, whether at home or over the phone, and that they often discussed various aspects of their lives.\n\nThe court also heard recordings of Noraidah's conversations with other parties, such as colleagues, teachers, and medical staff at the emergency ward, all automatically recorded by her mobile phone. After losing her daughter, Noraidah listened to the recordings again to identify the names mentioned by Zara during their conversations. She kept all the recordings on her laptop throughout the process.",
  "summary": "Court also hears recordings of Noraidah Lamat's communications with her daughter's teachers and medical staff, which she says were automatically recorded by her phone.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Zara’s mum chokes up as voice recording plays during inquest",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/zaras-mum-chokes-up-as-voice-recording-plays-during-inquest-12876580",
        "published": "2026-10-08T12:07:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}