By K. KASTURI DEWI

GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA - A Penang Municipal Council licensing officer has been charged with the murder of his wife and causing grievous hurt to his 17-year-old daughter by splashing acid on her face and body.

Tan Teik Swee, 53, was charged in a magistrate's court yesterday with murdering his wife Chong Swee Lin, 50, by splashing acid at her in a house at Jalan Batu Lanchang at 3am on Oct 24.

He is alleged to have committed the offence under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

Tan's counsel R. Dev Chander made an application under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code to have his client sent for psychiatric observation, saying he was informed by family members that Tan had some emotional problems even before the alleged incident.

DPP Mukhriz Mat Rus said there was no provision for a defence counsel to make the application and that there must be some element of abnormal behaviour shown by the accused for either the prosecution or the court to have the accused sent for psychiatric check.

Dev Chander said it was abnormal behaviour for a father to splash acid on his daughter and to kill his wife and that a psychiatric report was vital in ascertaining his state of mind at the time of the offence.

DPP Mukhriz replied that the magistrate did not have the jurisdiction to order an accused to be sent for observation as a murder charge was under the purview of the High Court.

Magistrate Noor Aini Yusof rejected the application for Tan to be sent for observation as there was no documentary evidence to show that he was undergoing treatment at the time of the offence.

The court fixed the case to be mentioned on Dec 11 pending the post-mortem report.

Tan was also charged in the Sessions Court with causing grievous hurt by splashing acid on his daughter Tan Hui Lin at the same place and day.

He claimed trial to committing the offence, which is punishable under Section 326 of the Penal Code and which carries a maximum 20 years' jail and a fine or whipping.

Sessions judge Roslan Hamid fixed the case to be mentioned on Dec 4 pending a medical report.