Woman Charged With Murder Of Mother To Undergo Psychiatric Evaluation

A 49-year-old housewife was charged in the Magistrate’s Court with the murder of her 70-year-old bedridden mother in Menglembu. Chew Loong Thye appeared before Magistrate Norizan Riduan, where the charge was read to her in Cantonese and she indicated that she understood it.

No plea was recorded during the court proceedings because capital murder offences fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court. Because murder is a non-bailable offence, no bail was offered, and Chew was unrepresented during the hearing.

Court Orders Psychiatric Evaluation for Murder Suspect

The allegation against Chew is that she killed Ching Lai Kheng at a residential property in Taman Wang, Menglembu, on Sept 27 between 7.15pm and 7.30pm. Upon conviction, Section 302 of the Penal Code under which the charge was brought mandates either the death penalty or a prison sentence lasting from 30 to 40 years.

During the session, the magistrate inquired about Chew’s psychiatric medication, leading the court to direct that she undergo a formal mental health assessment and that an evaluation report be produced pursuant to Section 342(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code. Deputy Public Prosecutor Ainin Sofiya Azlaini informed the court that pathology and toxicology reports remain pending. The court fixed the date for case mention and the submission of the psychiatric report.

Background of the Investigation

Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin previously confirmed that the victim was discovered with a fatal stab wound to her chest. Having recently come back to the family home from an elderly care facility in Pusing to receive care from Chew and her son-in-law, the bedridden victim relied on continuous, round-the-clock intensive assistance.

Police stated that only the suspect and the victim were in the house at the time of the incident, and early investigations found that the suspect had a psychiatric history.