Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, the last plaintiff witness in the negligence suit brought by Teoh Beng Hock's family against the MACC and 13 others, did not appear for court proceedings today.

Pornthip had informed Beng Hock's sister Lee Lan of her absence through text message yesterday.

Lee Lan did not reveal to reporters why Pornthip ( left ) was unable to attend the proceedings. The text message transcript was submitted as evidence by the plaintiff.

Later, the court set May 11 and 12 to hear testimonies from the defendants' witnesses. The defendants are expected to call 13 witnesses.

Pornthip was an expert witness called in by the Selangor government during the inquest on Beng Hock's death.

She testified that red marks on Beng Hock's neck were signs of manual strangulations, contradicting government pathologists' claims that he fell to his death.

This had made Pornthip a controversial figure for the government.

On Nov 2013, the plaintiff's lawyer Gobind Singh Deo said Pornthip had informed him that she was now a victim of political interference .

In 2009, Beng Hock, the aide to Selangor exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead, apparently after falling nine floors from the Selangor MACC headquarters.

Following this, a Royal Commission of Inquiry ruled that he was "driven to suicide", blaming three MACC officers - one of whom is now Sabah MACC director .

However, the Court of Appeal had ruled out suicide in September last year.