SIBU: A 48-year-old hearing and speech-impaired woman was brought before the Magistrate’s Court here on Friday to face a charge of murdering her 77-year-old mother in a fatal stabbing at Bukit Lan, Sungai Bidut, here.
Sie Ing Huong from Jalan Bukit Lan also faces a separate charge of voluntarily causing hurt (VCH) to the same victim in an earlier incident.
However, no plea was recorded after the court ordered the accused to undergo a psychiatric evaluation at Hospital Sentosa, Kuching, to determine her mental fitness and whether she is capable of understanding the proceedings and entering a plea.
Magistrate Romario Jonoi fixed August 6 for the mention of the murder case before the High Court pending the completion of the psychiatric assessment.
For the VCH charge, the court likewise did not record a plea and set July 31 for further mention.
Pending her transfer to Hospital Sentosa, the accused was ordered to remain in custody at Sibu Prison.
Earlier, the woman was produced in court after the expiry of her police remand.
As the accused is a person with disabilities (PwD) with hearing and speech impairments, the court appointed a sign language teacher from a special education school to serve as an interpreter throughout the proceedings to facilitate communication.
In a related development, the accused’s younger brother, who had earlier been detained to assist in the investigation, was released after bail was posted. He is expected to testify as a prosecution witness during the trial.
According to the VCH charge, the accused allegedly assaulted her mother by striking her body at about 9:00 pm on May 12 at a house in Bukit Lan, Sungai Bidut.
The charge was framed under Section 323 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of up to one year’s imprisonment, a fine of not more than RM2,000, or both, upon conviction.
Under the murder charge, she is accused of killing her mother by stabbing her with a pair of scissors at the same house at about 1:50 pm on June 25.
The offence is punishable under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides for the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, upon conviction.
If the death sentence is not imposed, the offender is also liable to receive no fewer than 12 strokes of the cane.
The outcome of the psychiatric assessment is expected to determine whether the accused is fit to stand for trial before the case proceeds in the High Court.
