With the Teoh Beng Hock inquest to resume on Thursday, uncertainty remains as to whether Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand will testify.

teoh beng hock inquest 070809 malik imtiaz.jpg The Selangor government, which has engaged her, and its lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar (left) have been working round the clock to secure her attendance.

"The Selangor government has yet to receive final confirmation as to whether she will come. We hope to receive confirmation soon," said a source in the state government.

Malaysiakini had reported last month that Pornthip had come under pressure not to testify on her observations based on the second post mortem on Teoh's remains.

Pornthip had in her previous testimony, said she was convinced that the DAP political aide's death was "80 percent" due to homicide.

It is learnt that she intends to stick to her assertion after spotting a bruise on Teoh's neck, which was not mentioned in the first post mortem report.

teoh 2nd autopsy 221109 peter vanezis Teoh was found dead on the fifth floor landing of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16 last year, after being questioned as a witness by the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Sungai Buloh Hospital chief pathologist Dr Shahidan Md Noor, who performed the second autopsy, had disagreed that there was manual strangulation .

Dr Peter Vanezis from the UK, hired by the MACC, told the court that he believes the political aide was conscious when he fell from a window on the 14th floor where the MACC has its office.

Tan and Manoharan to testify

In a related development, Teoh's family lawyer has told Nanyang Siang Pau that Pornthip has not received permission from the Thai Ministry of Justice, for which she works, to attend the inquest.

gobind singh deo jalan duta court 230409 05 Gobind Singh Deo (left) said the family will now have to look at other alternatives.

One option, as previously mentioned by Malik, could be video-conferencing. If this goes through, it would be a first for the Malaysian judiciary.

Two more witnesses are scheduled to testify - Kajang municipal councillor Tan Boon Wah and Teoh's then lawyer and Kota Alam Shah assemblyperson M Manoharan.

Ironically for Tan, his appeal before the Federal Court will be heard on Thursday, as to whether the MACC should be allowed to interrogate witnesses and suspects beyond office hours.

Tan and Teoh had both been questioned overnight on July 15 last year in relation to disbursement of state funds. Tan is believed to have been one of the last to have seen Teoh alive about 6am on July 16.

Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas will also decide on Friday whether or not to allow the family's lawyer Karpal Singh to initiate contempt proceedings against Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

Nazri, had called Pornthip a liar for saying she had been pressured not to testify.