SHAH ALAM: A fingerprint expert told a High Court yesterday that the palm print obtained from a murder scene matched that of the man accused of committing the crime.

Puwira Jaya Othman of the Bukit Aman Central Criminal Registry Malaysia & Singapore said he was certain that the palm print belonged to L/Kpl Abdul Halim Hasan.

L/Kpl Abdul Halim, a police photographer, is accused of murdering 20-year-old Tengku Teh Susilawati Tengku Akhirat last May.

He allegedly killed her at the bus stop area opposite the Kelana Jaya LRT station between 1.30am and 10.30am on May 6.

Teh Susilawati’s remains, which was packed into a 29” television box, was found by two Universiti Malaya general workers at Jalan 12/5, Petaling Jaya, the same day.

Puwira Jaya also told Judicial Commissioner Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin that it was scientifically impossible for two persons to have similar or almost similar finger, palm and foot prints.

However, he said he could not analyse and match the fingerprints taken from the box, containing Teh Susilawati’s body, as they lacked the required characteristics for the procedure.

Puwira Jaya said that sometimes fingerprints could not be analysed and matched because there had not been sufficient pressure when imprinted.

The defence requested the court’s permission to reserve Puwira Jaya’s cross-examination for a later date pending a second expert opinion on the validity of the palm print match.

Meanwhile, Kpl Aziz Hamad from the Petaling Jaya police photography and fingerprinting unit testified that he was instructed to take finger and palm prints of the accused on May 14 by the investigating officer Asst Supt Sarih Saleh.

Aziz, who said he knew Abdul Halim for about 10 years, added that he was not instructed to take the prints of any other possible suspect.

DPP Salehuddin Saidin, assisted by Muhammad Iskandar and Alfred Egih, prosecuted while Abdul Halim Yahya, G. Subramaniam Nair, K. Munjeet Singh and Roy Angau Datuk Jingkoi appeared for the defence.

The hearing was adjourned to June 26 to 30