The coroner's court today ordered that Teoh Beng Hock's remains be exhumed on Nov 21 and a second-post mortem be conducted the next day at the Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor.

The post-mortem would be carried out by the hospital’s head of pathology Dr Shahidan Mohd Noor. He will be assisted by Dr K Saravanan, Dr Khairul Azman Ibrahim, Dr Prashant Naresh and another expert to be appointed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

On Oct 27, Teoh's family filed an application to exhume the body following the startling revelation by Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand that his death could have been a homicide .

NONE The exhumation application was made under Section 335 of the Criminal Procedure Code and supported by an affidavit from Teoh's brother Meng Kee.

The court also ruled that Pornthip could be present during the second post-mortem.

Teoh died on July 16, after being interrogated by MACC officers.

While the official version is that the DAP political aide fell to his death, his family, however, have alleged foul play.

Earlier during the inquest hearing today, deputy public prosecutor acting for the MACC Abdul Razak Musa informed coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas that MACC's foreign pathologist could only be available for the second post-mortem from Nov 26 to 30.

Both sides then agreed to a compromise by deciding that Nov 22 was the best date for everyone involved in the second post-mortem.

‘Feng shui’ beliefs

Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, who is holding a watching brief for Teoh's family, hoped that Nov 22 would be the last and only date set for the post-mortem as there "certainly has been a delay because the MACC wants to bring in their own expert".

"We hope there would be no more extensions, regardless of whether or not the MACC’s expert could be present for the second post-mortem.

"The longer the delay, the greater the risk of contamination. The delay will definitely work against the second post-mortem," he told reporters after the hearing.

NONE Teoh Lee Lan, the deceased's sister, maintained that Nov 14 was the best date for the post- mortem but said that the family would now have to accept the next best choice which was Nov 22.

She said the selection of the two dates were in accordance to ‘feng shui’ beliefs. Also present in court today were her parents, Teoh Leong Hwee and Teng Shuw Hor and elder brother, Teoh Beng Kee.

Earlier, witness T Sivanesan, ( right ) an assistant manager of a stockpiling company, was re-questioned by Abdul Razak. Sivanesan had before this told the inquest that he had been a victim of MACC torture .

Sivanesan told the court that he was questioned by MACC officers after he was suspected by them of asking RM30,000 in bribes when he was a constable in Rela. He said that he was hospitalised for three nights and four days following injuries sustained when he was under detention.

However, Abdul Razak questioned Sivanesan's allegation that MACC officers had assaulted him causing injuries.

Handcuffed, stripped, caned

Abdul Razak: In your police report, you had sought medical treatment from a doctor one week after you alleged that MACC officers had assaulted you?

Sivanesan: I agree

Abdul Razak: You might have sustained those injuries after you fought with your enemies upon being released from the lock-up?

Sivanesan: I disagree

Abdul Razak: I put it to you that you were angry with those who had lodged an MACC report against you causing you to be arrested?

Sivanesan: I agree

Abdul Razak said that Sivanesan had mentioned many things in court which he did not state in his police report including about those who had handcuffed, stripped and caned him.

NONE "I put it to you that your court testimony was an afterthought, something that was thought of later," said Abdul Razak to which Sivanesan disagreed.

Later, when answering Gobind ( left, with tie ) Sivanesan claimed that he was also threatened by MACC officers.

Gobind: You said that you were brought to the magistrate's court twice yet you did not complain.

Sivanesan: The officers had threatened me. They warned me that my remand would be extended and that what happened on the first and second day during my detention would re-occur should I complain to the magistrate.

Gobind: What happened on the first and second day of detention?

Sivanesan: They beat and bashed me up

Hearing continues Friday

Gobind later told reporters that his client will be filling a suit against the MACC for injuries sustained during detention.

"He could not file the suit earlier as he is a witness in the inquest but he will now do it within this month," said Gobind.

The Petaling Jaya High Court on Sept 10 had dismissed MACC's application for a revision of the coroner's ruling to allow Sivanesan as a witness at the Teoh Beng Hock inquest.

The inquest will continue on Friday afternoon at 2.45pm. Scheduled for their testimonies are Tan Boon Hwa, the last person to see Teoh alive on July 16 and Shahidan Said, who installed the Selangor MACC's office access card system.

Sivanesan is also slated for further questioning.