SIBU, July 17 — A man, tentatively charged with the murder of his wife, daughter and son will be sent to the Sentosa Psychiatric Hospital in Kuching for a month-long observation.
Sessions Court judge Indra Abdul Ayup made the order when Jacob Tiang Lay Yee was brought to court for mention of his case today.
This followed an application by senior federal counsel Yaacub Chik that the 43-year-old contractor undergo psychiatric treatment.
Tiang is alleged to have killed his wife, Ling Yung Ming, 40, their daughter, Christine, 14, and son, Victor, two, at the Pulau Li Hua housing estate here last month.
He also faces a tentative charge of the attempted murder of his other son, Soon Tai, 17.
He is also charged with attempting to commit suicide by hanging himself with a leather belt tied to the staircase of his house.
The five offences were allegedly committed on July 5, between 6.20am and 9.50am, in a house located at 14B, Lane 1B, Pulau Li Hua Road.
When the charges were read to Tiang in the Chinese Foochow dialect, he told the court he understood them.
Asked if he wished to engage counsel, Tiang replied in the negative.
The accused was calm throughout the proceeding. His older sister and her husband were among those present.
Tiang will appear before the court again for further mention on August 19, pending completion of his victims’ post-mortem and chemist reports, as well as the report on the psychiatric observation. — Bernama
