Court of Appeal adjourns appeal hearing for wife of murdered bank manager

Ling is escorted from the court by Prisons Department personnel. - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star

KUCHING: The Court of Appeal has adjourned the hearing of an appeal by Ling Hang Tsyr, the wife of slain bank manager Wong Jing Kui after one of the judges recused himself from the case.

Ling was found guilty and sentenced to death in 2017 for abetting the murder of her husband in Sibu seven years ago.

Judge Stephen Chung recused himself from hearing the appeal as he came from Sibu and was familiar with Ling's co-accused Tiong King Guan, who is still at large.

Ling's counsel Lim Heng Choo said although he appreciated Chung's declaration, he had no objection to Chung hearing the appeal as the case was previously adjourned from its first hearing on Aug 13 last year.

DPP Tengku Intan Suraya Tengku Ismail said she understood Chung's position and asked for a new date to be fixed.

Lawyer Christina Teng, who held a watching brief for Wong's family, also asked for an adjournment and said the family accepted Chung's recusal.

Court of Appeal Judge Umi Kalthum Abdul Majid, leading a three-member bench, said the court had to be very careful about having a proper quorum to hear the case.

She adjourned the hearing to Aug 26.

The other judge was Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil.

Last August, Ling's appeal hearing was adjourned after Court of Appeal judge Ravinthran Paramaguru also recused himself because he was hearing a child custody case involving Ling and Wong's son.

Ling is being held in Kuching Prison pending her appeal against the conviction.-Star