The body of Mohamad Johari Abu Bakar who was shot on 13 May had to wait for four hours in a parked van before University Malaya Medical Centre finally accepted it late this evening.
“Complete insensitivity,” said an irate Latheefa Koya over the phone just now. “I am shocked,” the lawyer added of the hospital’s delay in accepting the body for a second post-mortem despite a court order obtained this morning. See Star report here.
The boy’s mother Salmah had filed the application after her son was shot by the police behind a budget hotel in Cyber Valley Commercial Centre on 13 May.
The court order was obtained at around 9.00 or 10.00 this morning. The body was released by the Serdang Hospital at around 2.00pm. The van carrying the body arrived at University Hospital at around 3.00pm and the body was finally accepted at 7.00pm.
“I asked the family to take a last look (when the body was finally accepted) and they were very disturbed,” said Latheefa. “The face had ‘melted’ and there was a strong stench.”
She said she had earlier spoken to a top official at the hospital, pointing out the urgency and the fact the family had obtained a court order. But the official responded the hospital had to follow proper procedure.
Meanwhile, the body was left in the unrefridgerated van for four hours.