KUALA LUMPUR, 19 Oct 2009: The family members of the deceased political aide, Teoh Beng Hock, have decided to postpone a psychiatric evaluation scheduled for today as their lawyer was not allowed to accompany them.
Lawyer Lim Lip Eng, who is holding watching brief for Teoh’s family, said the family was instructed by the police last Wednesday to undergo a psychiatric evaluation at the Selayang Hospital at 11am today to assess Teoh’s mental fitness.
“The family decided to postpone the test as I was not allowed to accompany them. They want me to be with them to avoid any untoward incident,” he told reporters at the Selayang Hospital today.
Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas had allowed psychiatric interviews to be conducted on Teoh’s father, Leong Hwee, Teng Shuw Hoi (mother), Meng Kee (older brother) and fiancee, Soh Cher Wei, as well as on several Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers.
Teoh, 30, political aide to Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on 16 July 2009 on the fifth floor service corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam after being interrogated through the night for more than ten hours by the MACC.
Teoh was a witness to the MACC over allegations of misuse of funds by Selangor state executive councillors. — Bernama
Phua Kai Lit says
In the Soviet Union, those who oppose the ruling regime (political dissidents) are sent to psychiatric hospitals. In Malaysia, relatives of a victimised, deceased political aide are sent for psychiatric evaluations.
bodoh says
Any psychiatrist who claims that he [or she] can draw conclusions without interviewing the person is [lying].
Gopal Raj Kumar says
This takes the cake (if it does not top it with icing) for stupidity and stretching anti-human behaviour.
What powers do the police call [upon] to instruct family members of a deceased to undergo psychiatric evaluation? What courts and laws allow lawyers to sit in silence without a challenge to such an obscene directive?