KOTA KINABALU, Sept. 29 -- A witness in the inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir told the court that harsh scolding by senior students was a common and accepted part of hostel culture.

Lawyer Shahlan Jufri said that junior students, from Form One to Form Three, were expected to go through similar treatment from seniors because the seniors had experienced it themselves.

"The witness said such scoldings from senior students were considered a normal part of hostel life," he said.

Words like "budu" (fermented anchovy sauce), "sial" (damned/unlucky), "p*****" (vulgar insult), "babi" (pig), and "anjing" (dog) were the examples used.

The Form 4 student also said that some of the words were commonly used among friends a...