IPOH, Oct 2 — A 49-year-old housewife was charged in the Magistrate's Court here today with the murder of her 70-year-old bedridden mother in Menglembu last week.
Chew Loong Thye indicated that she understood the charge after it was read to her in Cantonese before Magistrate Norizan Riduan, NST reported.
No plea was recorded as capital murder offences fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court.
Chew is accused of murdering her mother, Ching Lai Kheng, at a house in Taman Wang, Menglembu, between 7.15pm and 7.30pm on Sept 27.
The charge was framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides for the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years upon conviction.
During the proceedings, Norizan asked Chew whether she had been regularly taking her prescribed psychiatric medication, to which she answered affirmatively.
The court subsequently ordered Chew to undergo a formal psychiatric evaluation and for an assessment report to be prepared in accordance with Section 342(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ainin Sofiya Azlaini informed the court that pathology and toxicology reports remain pending and confirmed that no bail was being offered, as murder is a non-bailable offence. Chew was unrepresented.
The court fixed Nov 22 for case mention and the submission of the psychiatric report.
Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin previously confirmed on Sept 28 that the victim was discovered with a fatal stab wound to her chest. The bedridden victim, who required round-the-clock intensive care, had recently returned to the family home from an elderly care facility in Pusing to be looked after by Chew and her son-in-law.
