SIBU: A medical officer told the High Court here yesterday she was only qualified to do a body review and not a post-mortem at the time when she handled specimens of murder victims.
Dr Naomi Chieng Hie Ming, 30, who is attached to Sibu Hospital, and the 16th prosecution witness, was responding to a question raised by defence counsel (DC) Ben Lau during cross-examination at the trial of Jacob Tiang Lee Yee.
Tiang is facing three charges under Section 302 of the Penal Code for causing the death of his wife Ling Yung Ming, daughter Christine Tiang Soon Ai and son Victor Tiang Soon Sheng between 6.20am and 9.50am on July 5 last year at their house in Pulau Li Hua.
He is also charged under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempting to cause the death of another son Vincent Tiang Soon Thai at the same place, time and day.
Tiang is also charged under Section 309 of the Penal Code for attempted suicide at the same place, time and day.
To another question from Lau, Dr Chieng said she did not assist Dr Jamil Dolkadir to take the biological specimens of Christine and Victor.
She said she did not pass the biological specimens taken during the post mortem and labelled by MA Shafizul to ASP Yeoh because Dr Jamil needed her to sign the biological form.
Earlier, to a question from Senior Federal Counsel (SFC) Yaakub Chik, Dr Chieng said the blood, urine and stomach content samples taken from Victor during the post mortem by Dr Jamil were handed over to MA Shafizul for labelling and sealing.
She said after Shafizul labelled and sealed all the specimens, Dr Jamil handed all the specimens to her to sign (the form) before she handed them over to the police.
Earlier, another government medical doctor Dr Hwang Ing Song, 28, who is attached to Sibu Hospital, told the SFC that she did not make any body review of dead body before July 5, 2013.
She replied in the affirmative that about 2pm on July 5, 2013, in the mortuary of Sibu hospital, she did make body review of one Ling Yung Ming.
SFC: What do you mean by body review?
Dr Hwang: I do external review of the body such as documenting down any external wound.
SFC: Did you touch the body?
Dr Kwang: No.
SFC: What were the wounds that you saw on the body of Ling Yung Ming on that day?
Dr Kwang: There was bilateral eyes subconjunctiva haemmorhage. There were bruises on the neck. The face appeared cyanosis with petechiae.
There was some hemoserous fluid in oral cavity. There was an old surgical scar at the pubic region.
There was an old superficial wound at the right palmar surface of foot. There was blueish discolouration of 3rd phalanx of right foot. Liver mortis at the back. The deceased was wearing pink pyjamas.
SFC: What is subconjunctiva haemmorhage in a layman term?
Dr Kwang: Blood shot eyes.
SFC: What is cyanosis with petechiae?
Dr Kwang: Cyanosis means blue. Petechiae means bleeding from the capillary. Hemoserous fluid means blood stained fluid.
SFC: What is palmar?
Dr Kwang: The surface of the foot which the one directed to the floor, i.e. the sole of the foot.
SFC: What is 3rd phalanx of right foot?
Dr kwang: The 3rd digit when counted from big thumb of the foot.
SFC: Liver mortis?
Dr Kwang: It was the sedimentation of blood on the dependent area of the body.
SFC: How do you say it was liver mortis?
Dr Kwang: By pinkish discoloration of the skin.
SFC: You said there was a liver mortis at the back of the body. How did you know there was a liver mortis at the back of the body since you did not touch her?
Dr Kwang: The hospital attendant turned over the body for me.
To a further question, Dr Kwang said she made a body review by external review – that was by observation.
On July 8, 2013, she said she did attend a post-mortem conducted by Dr Jamil on the bodies of Ling Yung Ming, Christine Tiang Soon Ai and Victor Tiang Soon Sheng.
She said she assisted Dr Jamil in the post-mortem of Ling Yung Ming, and that Dr Naomi assisted in the other two.
Hearing before Judge Supang Lian continues today.