SEREMBAN: A 55-year-old former lecturer accused of stabbing her husband to death has been ordered by the Magistrate’s Court here to undergo psychiatric evaluation at Hospital Permai in Johor Baru.Magistrate Norzaliza Tesmin issued the order following an application by counsel Joshua Nga Koo Koy when the case came up for mention yesterday.

       Nga is acting for Lau Seck Yan, who on Jan 28 was charged with the murder of 55-year-old Poh Seng Hiap at their home at the Rasah Kemayan Golf and Country Township near here.

       Lau, who had contested as an Independent candidate for the Port Dickson parliamentary by-election in 2018, allegedly committed the offence between 3.30pm and 4.30pm on Jan 23.

       No plea has been recorded from her yet.

       The couple have four daughters.

       Poh, an accountant, was reportedly stabbed in the chest and abdomen.

       Lau is charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty upon conviction.

       Nga asked the court to send the accused for a psychiatric evaluation as she had a history of turning aggressive and violent with the deceased.

       He said two affidavits signed by the couple’s oldest daughter on behalf of the siblings had also been submitted to the court on Feb 22 and 23.

       “The oldest daughter had also lodged a police report on Dec 22 last year on her mum’s condition and that she needed to be sent for treatment.

       “She decided to do so after her late father sent her a message on Dec 19 telling his daughter that he could no longer live with or tolerate his wife’s behaviour,” he said, adding that they had also on several occasions persuaded the accused to go for treatment but to no avail.

       Nga also told the court that the accused had caused injuries to the deceased on several occasions before his death and that their children were aware of this.

       He said they claimed their mother was temperamental and probably suffered from schizophrenia.

       “In the affidavit, the siblings had also said that the accused would be normal when in public and would actually help others, but would suddenly turn aggressive when she got back home,” Nga said.

       Another daughter, he said, also found a note allegedly written by the accused to the deceased several years ago that she wanted to attain “nirvana”.

       “In the note, she told the deceased that he should not be sad if she were to die.

       “She also sought his forgiveness for her behaviour towards him,” he said, adding that the accused had also written a note to the children seeking their forgiveness if she had been unkind or ever hurt their feelings.

       Nga then told the court that this was clear that the accused always had suicidal thoughts and suffered from a bipolar condition and extreme mood swings.

       When Norzaliza asked the prosecuting officer ASP C. Rathna if she had any objection to the request, the latter said she didn’t.

       Norzaliza then ordered the accused to be sent to the facility for observation.

       She also fixed March 23 for mention and the submission of the post-mortem, toxicology, chemistry and psychiatry reports.

       Lau, who was brought handcuffed to court dressed in a khaki-coloured hooded blouse and dark pants, avoided reporters unlike on the day she was first charged when she repeatedly told them she was innocent.