GEORGE TOWN: A dental nurse told the coroner’s court here today that Adelaide native Annapuranee “Anna” Jenkins was eager to meet her mother at a Catholic home for the aged near Air Itam here five years ago.
Lim Cheng Wooi, 30, said during the past two appointments with the clinic in December 2017, the grandmother of two had often spoken about her mother during her dental check-ups.
“We know Aunty Anna well. She was friendly and nice to all of us.
“When we last saw her, she said she was here for a vacation with her husband and wanted to meet her mother at an old folk’s home,” the nurse with Goh Dental Surgery in Pulau Tikus said.
Lim said she last saw Jenkins, 65, at the dental clinic on Dec 13, 2017 — the same day she went missing after an Uber ride to the Little Sisters of the Poor at Batu Lanchang Lane.
Jenkins’ mother, Marie-Anne Coomaraswamy, a resident at the aged care centre died 10 months after her disappearance in October 2018. She was 102.
Lim said after Jenkins’ follow-up at the dental clinic, she had asked Lim to get her an e-hailing ride to meet Marie-Anne.
“I used my phone to get her an Uber ride home, since she said she did not have the Grab or Uber app in her phone at that time.
“I gave her the car make and number plate and she paid for the ride in cash to the driver,” she said.
Lim said she was only told Jenkins had gone missing a day later after her son called to ask her about her whereabouts.
She said Jenkins was supposed to get three of her teeth extracted and dentures fitted on the day she went missing. However, the surgery had to be delayed by three days due to a delay by the clinic’s supplier.
Lim said Jenkins had first come to the clinic complaining that three of her teeth had become loose on Dec 7. She came back again two days later to have an impression taken for her new dentures.
She said Jenkins had paid RM700 in deposit and the remaining RM1,100 was paid by her son later after her disappearance.
Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim, who is assisting the coroner, asked Lim why Jenkins’ medical records were written in pencil when most records were written in ballpoint ink.
Lim said the writing in pencil were merely notations, stating that Anna wanted cavity fillings, dentures and made other requests. She said Jenkins had cavity fillings done on the day she went missing.
When Lim said some drilling needed to be done, lawyer Raveentharan Subramaniam, who is holding a watching brief for the family, asked if Jenkins’ dental treatment required anaesthesia.
Lim said there was no need for that as the cavities were shallow and could be drilled without anaesthesia.
Khairul then asked Lim about CCTV cameras at her clinic. Lim said at the time of the incident, the cameras at the front entrance were faulty, but the indoor ones were working.
Yazid Mustaqim Roslan, who is also assisting in the inquest, asked Lim if she had received a receipt for the Uber ride Jenkins took. She said she was not sure but agreed to revert with details after a request by Yazid.
Earlier, Hotel Jen Penang’s former director of rooms V Thiruarasan told the inquest that he had helped Jenkins try to get an e-hailing app to work. (Jenkins was staying at the hotel at that time.)
He said the app did not work as expected, and Jenkins had merely said, “I’m hurrying to go for my dental appointment,” and took a taxi near the hotel.
The inquest continues tomorrow before coroner Norsalha Hamzah with testimony from the Uber driver who was supposed to take her to the Little Sisters of the Poor home.
Also assisting in the inquest were Farah Aimy Zainul Anwar and Shahrezal Shukri. Asmeeta Rajendran is also holding a watching brief for the Jenkins’ family. - FMT
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