Pathologist says no evidence Beng Hock was strangled

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 — A government pathologist who performed the second post-mortem on Teoh Beng Hock last November, told the inquest into his death today that the DAP aide died from a fall, and also disputed Dr Porntip Rojanasunan’s conclusion that he had been strangled or had his anus penetrated before he fell.

Sungai Buloh Hospital Pathology Unit head Dr Shahidan Md Noor, also said that he agreed with the findings of the first post-mortem which was carried out by Dr Khairul Azman Hj Ibrahim and Dr Prashant Naresh Samberkar.

“I think that Dr Khairul and Dr Prashant had executed their tasks very well. It is difficult to find a report as good as that. I agree with their opinions,” said Dr Shahidan.

The post-mortem examination report submitted by Hospital Sungai Buloh attributed the cause of death to “multiple injuries due to a fall from height.”

Dr Shahidan informed the coroner’s court that although there was evidence of bruises and contusion on the neck of the deceased, there were no signs of asphyxia or fracture of the thyroid cartilage.

The doctor’s opinion was that the bruises on Teoh’s neck was not a result of manual strangulation.


He disputed the testimony of Dr Porntip, who was brought in last year by the Selangor state government to offer her expertise.

“I disagree with Dr Porntip. When strangulation takes place, the pressure from the hands on the neck would be different, and would be more consistent on the area of the neck,” when questioned by lead counsel for the Attorney-General chambers Tan Hock Chuan on why he disagreed with the Thai pathologist.

The pathologist from Hospital Sungai Buloh also disputed the foreign pathologist’s take on the injuries on Teoh’s anus and thigh area, maintaining that the injuries were a direct result from the fall.

Dr Porntip had testified on Oct 21 last year that the injuries on Teoh’s anus had been caused by an insertion of a foreign object, and that the injury was not consistent with the fall from height.

Similarly, she also suggested that the abrasions on Teoh’s thigh was likely caused by beating using a piece of wood.

“I think that the anal injury was a part of the fall, as the patterns of injury suggest so. If it had happened prior to the fall, the injuries sustained by Teoh Beng Hock would have been different,” said Dr Shahidan.

He stressed that if Teoh had been assaulted the way Dr Porntip had suggested, the anal injuries would have been more severe.

“The abrasions on the thigh does not suggest a beating but it suggests a process that can only be a result of an injury caused by a fall,” he added.

Excerpts of the conclusion of the post-mortem examination report by Dr Shahidan read out as follows:

“The second examination performed showed that the deceased sustained multiple injuries consistent with that of a fall from a certain height. There were also injuries on the neck which most likely were formed or produced by the impact of the fall. The pattern and severity of them were in keeping with the incident of event.”

Lead counsel for the deceased’s family, Gobind Singh Deo then requested for more time to view the notes taken today with regards to Dr Shahidan’s opinion on Dr Porntip’s testimony.

Magistrate Azmil Muntapha Abbas then fixed March 1 for Gobind’s cross-examination of Dr Shahidan.

Besides that, an additional date of March 10 was also fixed should the cross-examination take up more than a day. After the cross-examination is completed, Kajang councillor Tan Boon Hua will be called to testify.