GEORGE TOWN – Police procedures for investigation of missing persons need to be refined and improved, said two PKR leaders following the open verdict by the coroner’s court on the mysterious death of Annapuranee Jenkins.
Former PKR senator Mohd Yusmadi Yusoff said this case highlights the need for more training and the adoption of new technology when investigating missing persons in the country.
He added that communication skills are vital in reaching out to the aggrieved parties to avoid misunderstanding while engaging the relevant communities in locating any missing persons.
He told The Vibes that the issue is not just about determining the cause of death and delivering justice but the effective administration of the law.
“There is a need to ensure that the law is administered fairly and justly and if cannot, an alternative must be justified and explained, so there is no misunderstanding.”
Meanwhile, Kebun Bunga assemblyman Jason Ong Khan Lee said police need to look at how they can improve following complaints lodged by the Jenkins family over the lack of transparency in their investigation.
He said police should have explored all aspects of the case in view of the pressure by the family.
The son of the deceased, Greg, and South Australian Senate member Frank Pangallo told the media that the inquest was a farce as they were no closer to finding out the truth behind the sudden death of Jenkins on December 17 in 2017.
After partial skeletal remains were found at the Kensington Heights construction site near the Penang Turf Club in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 lockdown, DNA tests certified that the remains belonged to Jenkins, and the case was reclassified from missing persons to sudden death.
An inquest was ordered by the prosecuting office by which more than 20 witnesses were subpoenaed to testify.
The Jenkins family is now mulling a review of the coroner court’s decision. – The Vibes, May 13, 2023
