Emotional rant about internet users cyberbullying him.
The chief warden of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha, Azhari Abdul Sagap, broke down in the Coroner’s Court today, saying he felt victimised by cyberbullying following the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir.
The 31-year-old insisted he and the school had fully cooperated with police investigations and denied any cover-up. “If I wanted to protect her bullies or killers, I wouldn’t have told the police what happened on the night of the 15th. I told them everything on the 16th, even before Zara Qairina’s mother lodged her second police report,” he said.
Azhari said it was unfair that he and a student who discovered Zara after she fell from the dormitory building were targeted online. “To me, the accusations towards her are so cruel — just because she was the first to find Zara. Maybe Zara could have died on the spot if she had not found her. She is a good student — my top hafazan student every year. Why is she being attacked like this?” he asked tearfully.
He recounted his efforts to save Zara, including attempting to take her to the hospital, calling for an ambulance, accompanying her to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and staying with her family until midnight. “I tried to save her. I followed the ambulance to the hospital, I stayed until her mother arrived, and I was there until midnight. Is this what the school and I deserve?” he asked.
Azhari said he and other teachers supported Zara’s family throughout her final hours, the morgue process, and her burial, leaving only when asked for help by police. “There were no complaints from Zara or her mother to the school before this. We were not hiding anything,” he said.
He stressed that allegations of a cover-up had caused immense strain on him and his family. “I am looking for justice for her, but why do we have to go through this too?” he asked.
He added that his family had also suffered as a result of the incident. “For the record, two weeks before the incident, they had approved my wife’s transfer to my school. We have been doing long-distance since 2020. But since the incident, the plans have changed, and now my child is in Beaufort. Is this my reward? My family is being attacked because I made the report. That’s not logical,” he said.
Azhari was responding to questions from lawyer Abdul Fikry Jaafar about online allegations directed at the school. The coroner adjourned proceedings for a lunch break after his emotional testimony.