GEORGE TOWN – The mysterious death of the Malaysian-born Australian Annapuranee Jenkins in Penang has attracted the attention of Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who vowed to “keep the heat on the case”.
The Sabah-born minister said her team will closely monitor Jenkin’s death inquest when it resumes here on July 18, reported Australian portal The Advertiser.
When asked about it during her visit to Malaysia earlier this week, Wong said she did not bring up the matter here but had raised it before in Australia.
“Look, not on this trip. I’ve previously raised that in opposition, as you know, but we can find out where that matter is at – it’s very distressing.
“I was briefed on it quite a lot in opposition, and it’s obviously very distressing for the family under those circumstances,” she was quoted as saying in the transcript provided by her ministry.
Meanwhile, Jenkins’ son Greg, who is seen as the family’s spokesman, confirmed that he would be returning to Penang to witness the proceedings in the coroner’s court.
He would likely be accompanied by Frank Pangallo, a member of the South Australian Legislative Council for the SA-Best party, who has been outspoken about the family’s ordeal over the unsolved murder.
In April, Jenkin’s daughter Jennifer took to the Facebook page dedicated to the case to reveal that the remains were returned by the Forensics Department to Greg in 18 open plastic bags – lambasting the Malaysian authorities for being “heartless”.
Days before that, Greg lodged a police report against retired investigating officer Zali Hanapi – who was responsible for investigating Jenkin’s disappearance – for slander and failure to perform due diligence on the investigation.
He said even though it seems that his late mother and ill father no longer have a voice in Malaysia, it does not give police during the death inquest the right to “slander” and “discredit” their relationship and character.
He also said they found a diary that contained scribblings stating that Anna did not want to go back to Australia and that she was involved in drug trafficking there.
Parit Buntar-born Annapuranee was in Penang on a short holiday with her husband in December 2017 when she went missing.
She left a hotel here on December 13 for an appointment with her dentist before hopping into an Uber to visit her aged mother at a care home in Batu Lanchang.
She allegedly requested for her Uber driver to stop her midway toward her destination, and she was never seen alive again after that.
Her remains were found at a construction site in Batu Gantong here in June 2020, about 3km from where she was last seen alighting from the Uber ride.
Coroner Norsalha Hamzah will preside over the inquest here. – The Vibes, July 3, 2022
