Feb 10 verdict on traditional healer’s murder charge

 Che Hong Chiew pleaded not guilty to murdering Lim Sin Lue after allegedly hitting the latter during a treatment session.

The Shah Alam High Court heard that traditional medicine practitioner Che Hong Chiew was trying to ‘chase out a baby ghost’ from the victim’s stomach.

SHAH ALAM:

 The High Court has fixed Feb 10 to deliver its verdict on a murder charge against traditional medicine practitioner Che Hong Chiew.

Che has pleaded not guilty to killing her “patient” Lim Sin Lue at a house in Pandan Perdana, Ampang, on July 27, 2022. If convicted, she faces a jail term of 30 to 40 years or the death penalty.

Judicial Commissioner Suriyati Hasimah Hashim set the date after the prosecution closed its case. Four witnesses, including Lim’s mother, Chong Geok Choo, testified.

Chong told the court that she saw Che hitting Lim during a treatment session and asked why she was doing so.

“Madam (Che) said she wanted to chase out a ‘baby ghost’ that lived inside Lim’s stomach.

“In the late afternoon, Madam told me that Lim was ‘no longer around’ and asked me to wake her up,” Chong said, adding that she found Lim motionless on the floor and the latter’s hands were cold.

The police and ambulance arrived about an hour after receiving the family’s report.

Accused suffered from schizophrenia, court told

Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Isabel Shamini David testified that Che was referred to Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in 2024, where she was diagnosed with schizophrenia and prescribed medication.

“The patient became depressed and isolated herself after her youngest son died in 2018. She took his unexpected death badly.

“During the period (after her son’s death), she developed psychotic symptoms where she (claimed to) ‘hear’ and ‘see’ him,” she said, adding that Che also became obsessed with religion.

David also said that sometime in June 2022, Che believed her son’s soul had “entered” her body and “communicated” with her.

Asked whether Che could understand her actions, David said the accused “could not appreciate what was real” due to a disturbance in her sense of reality.

She also observed Che “chasing away evil spirits” while hospitalised.

Meanwhile, investigating officer Sukri Zainuddin told the court that Che had told him she wanted to expel a “baby ghost” inside Lim.

He agreed with Che’s lawyer, Geethan Ram Vincent, that her explanation made no sense to ordinary people. Sukri conceded there was no motive for Che to kill Lim. - FMT