SHAH ALAM: Teoh Beng Hock's family members will consider exhuming his body to allow Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunan to conduct a second postmortem.

This was disclosed by counsel Gobind Singh Deo, who is representing Teoh's family, after proceedings yesterday.

He said he would have to discuss the matter with his clients and take further instructions from them.

The question of an exhumation came about when Dr Pornthip, in her testimony, had said that she was willing to carry out a post-mortem to prove her findings.

Gobind told reporters that the final decision lay with the coroner, Azmil Muntapha Abas.

Dr Pornthip arrived in court at 8.50am with funky red and blonde streaks in her hair. She wore a tight top and a long black skirt with flat boots.

Dr Pornthip, 54, is wellknown for her flamboyant style and is regarded as a celebrity of sorts in her homeland.

She works in the Thai Ministry of Justice's Central Institute of Forensic Science.

She told the inquest that she had conducted more than 10,000 autopsies in her 27 years in forensic science.

She added that 100 of those cases were those which dealt with fatal falls from high places.

Dr Pornthip is the author of Investigation of Corpses, which sold 100,000 copies in Thailand.

She also led a group of international forensic scientists in 2004 to identify the remains of the Asian tsunami victims.

Her life and work were highlighted in a National Geographic documentary entitled Crime Scene Bangkok in 2004.

Dr Pornthip arrived here on Tuesday on the invitation of the Selangor government to testify in the inquest.

She returned to Thailand last night.

Asked about interviews to ascertain Teoh's state of mind, Gobind told the coroner that so far the witnesses did not want to attend the session as they were not allowed to have their lawyers present during questioning by psychiatrists.

The questioning session was to ascertain Teoh's state of mind before his death.

The witnesses, including Teoh's boss, assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, were called for the interview on Monday and Tuesday at Hospital Selayang but the sessions did not go on as the psychiatrists did not want the lawyers present.

Azmil said he could not force the witnesses to attend the session. -New Straits Times