KUALA LUMPUR – Twenty years of friendship and 1,000 autopsies later, forensic pathologist Dr Rohayu Shahar Adnan and journalist Fatin Amin combined forces to produce a book documenting 10 interesting pathology cases.
Titled A Dead Body Never Lies, the book started as an idea in 2016 and was published last year by Penguin Random House SEA.
“I realised the ones who have passed from this world do not get a chance to explain what really happened to them, and it dawned upon me that someone had to take that role of being their voice,” said Rohayu, who is the head of forensic medicine department in Sg Buloh Hospital.
She has performed 1,000 autopsies and supervised more than 3,000 so far.
“For the loved ones and police, uncovering the cause of death is crucial in pinpointing the culprits and bringing them to justice.
The book that Fatin and I co-authored is not just the memoirs of a pathologist. With the help of Fatin, I went on to give a voice to the victims and document their deaths and how they could have been prevented.”
For Fatin, the journey was a more painful one, as she had helped provide palliative care to her late brother when he was suffering from cancer.
“Dr Rohayu and I explore the social issues our society faces today, and we have one common goal – to liberate our society from the taboos that prevent individuals from seeking help, should they need to.
“This book may not be a self-help one, but our intention is to mould science with empathy, to break down social stigmas,” said Fatin.
Among the cases documented in the book is one of an apparent victim of witchcraft. Rohayu had performed an autopsy on a young Malay woman, whom the husband claimed had been the victim of witchcraft.
But upon closer examination, she had breast cancer.
After an examination of her body, I concluded that her death was due to the onset of advanced breast cancer and not black magic. The main question was: why did she not seek treatment?
“I hope Asian women can put aside taboos or embarrassment. This is something no woman should be ashamed of.
“From teenagers taking drugs to murdered individuals, the true reason behind their deaths can only be uncovered after the autopsies.” – The Vibes, March 8, 2022
