Kuala Lampur:The Coroner's Court was informed that the older stepsister of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir experienced emotional distress while residing with Zara Qairina's mother for approximately seven months during her primary school years.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Malianah Mahathir, who is now 25 years old, testified that she was 10 when she started living with her father and Zara Qairina's mother after their marriage in 2011. She lived with them from late 2011 until June 2012 before moving out.

Malianah described her stepmother as someone who was able to put on an act. She explained that her stepmother was kind when Malianah's father was home but would change and show dislike towards her once he left for work. This behavior led to Malianah's emotional distress due to her stepmother's attitude and comments.

During this period, Malianah had to take care of her own daily needs, such as preparing meals, doing laundry, and organizing her school supplies, while her stepmother often used harsh language towards her. In June 2012, she transferred to Sekolah Kebangsaan Malaria and began living in the school hostel.

By 2013, while in Year Six, Malianah left the hostel and went to live with her biological mother in Kampung Binunuk, Beaufort, where she continued her education until Form Three. She later dropped out of school in October 2016, worked in Kota Kinabalu for about three months, and then moved to Kuala Lumpur to live with her aunt in Rawang, Selangor. She resumed her education from Form Four to Form Five.

Malianah noted that Zara Qairina was born in 2013, after she had stopped living with Zara Qairina's parents. Tragically, Zara Qairina passed away at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, a day after being found unconscious near the drain of her school hostel at 4 am.