Nor Aidora's wit has court in stitches
At one point, in explaining what is DNA and a locus, she asked the judge ‘Yang Arif faham tak?’ (Your honour, do you understand?)
It was an unusual moment during the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trial when a chemist had the court in stitches with her witty answers.
NONEWhile the focus on this morning's trial is on Nor Aidora Saedon's revelation that her former director-general, N Hithiya Jeeva, had instructed and assigned her to wait for the samples from a “big and high profile” case, her quick-witted answers and comments in answer to counsel Ram Karpal Singh provided the light moment.
Giving her testimony in English, at one point, in explaining what is DNA and a locus, she asked the judge, “Yang Arif faham tak?” (Your honour, do you understand?).
Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah replied, “Tak penting untuk awak tahu kalau saya faham atau tidak, kamu kena beri keterangan” (It does not matter to you whether I understand or not, what is important is that you testify).
In explaining her former director-general's directive, Nor Aidora said normally she would return home at 6pm.
“However, on July 17, 2008, I was instructed by the director-general to wait.
“He had called me at about lunchtime that day, informing me that the police informed him that a big and high profile case is coming. He informed me that the department had assigned me to the case to retrieve the DNA,” she said.
In explaining what transpired, she said Hithiya had a brief meeting with the then-forensic division head Primula Pathi Jaya and the then-DNA section head Lim Kong Boon.
Lim, Primula and Hithiya are said to have played a part in Sodomy I, when they were also called as witnesses.
Following the said discussion, Nor Aidora said Hithiya had assigned her to it.
She had on Wednesday testified that she found a correspondence to 'Male Y' whose semen was found from Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's lower rectal area, to the DNA she had retrieved from a mineral water bottle, a 'good morning' towel and a white toothbrush.
Those items were handed over to her on the evening of July 17, 2008 (ie at about 6.30 pm).
Nor Aidora said she made her findings in her chemist's report which is read together with one provided by Dr Seah Lay Hong.
She testified that Seah's office is about five metres away from hers.
Normal practice?
Normally, Nor Aidora said Lim would assign the work but this order came directly from the DG.
At this point, solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden objected to Ram Karpal's line of questioning, alleging that the defence counsel was trying to put words in the witness' mouth.
Ram retorted that his question was relevant and Justice Zabidin allowed Ram to continue.
Nor Aidora had the court in stitches when she said, “I know you are angry but do not shout and be angry with me. I am here to assist the court.”
Rattled by this, Ram asked his question calmly, to which Nor Aidora denied that her superior would dictate to her what to do.
She said she would follow what is required by the police POL 31 form.
The witness said normally the police will come to the DNA counter and Lim would then assign the cases to the chemist whom he deemed fit.
Ram: Normally your DG would sit at the counter to give the case?
Nor Aidora: No. he would be in the office in the main building.
Ram: He must have knowledge of this case?
Nor Aidora: I do not know, as the DG had discussed matters with the head of the forensic division and her section head.
“They decided to give this 'high profile' case to me. I did not know what were the samples but was told to wait for it.”
She said when she conducted her test, Seah had already left for the United States.
Nor Aidora said she obtained a perfect DNA sample from the samples given to her.
She had earlier testified that she swabbed the towel, toothbrush handle and bristles and also the mouth and cap of the mineral water bottle in search of DNA.
The witness admitted she did not do a test for degradation.
Nor Aidora said she found DNA in 10 of the samples retrieved from the toothbrush, towel and mineral water bottle which were obtained through trace sampling.
It was an unusual moment during the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trial when a chemist had the court in stitches with her witty answers.
NONEWhile the focus on this morning's trial is on Nor Aidora Saedon's revelation that her former director-general, N Hithiya Jeeva, had instructed and assigned her to wait for the samples from a “big and high profile” case, her quick-witted answers and comments in answer to counsel Ram Karpal Singh provided the light moment.
Giving her testimony in English, at one point, in explaining what is DNA and a locus, she asked the judge, “Yang Arif faham tak?” (Your honour, do you understand?).
Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah replied, “Tak penting untuk awak tahu kalau saya faham atau tidak, kamu kena beri keterangan” (It does not matter to you whether I understand or not, what is important is that you testify).
In explaining her former director-general's directive, Nor Aidora said normally she would return home at 6pm.
“However, on July 17, 2008, I was instructed by the director-general to wait.
“He had called me at about lunchtime that day, informing me that the police informed him that a big and high profile case is coming. He informed me that the department had assigned me to the case to retrieve the DNA,” she said.
In explaining what transpired, she said Hithiya had a brief meeting with the then-forensic division head Primula Pathi Jaya and the then-DNA section head Lim Kong Boon.
Lim, Primula and Hithiya are said to have played a part in Sodomy I, when they were also called as witnesses.
Following the said discussion, Nor Aidora said Hithiya had assigned her to it.
She had on Wednesday testified that she found a correspondence to 'Male Y' whose semen was found from Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's lower rectal area, to the DNA she had retrieved from a mineral water bottle, a 'good morning' towel and a white toothbrush.
Those items were handed over to her on the evening of July 17, 2008 (ie at about 6.30 pm).
Nor Aidora said she made her findings in her chemist's report which is read together with one provided by Dr Seah Lay Hong.
She testified that Seah's office is about five metres away from hers.
Normal practice?
Normally, Nor Aidora said Lim would assign the work but this order came directly from the DG.
At this point, solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden objected to Ram Karpal's line of questioning, alleging that the defence counsel was trying to put words in the witness' mouth.
Ram retorted that his question was relevant and Justice Zabidin allowed Ram to continue.
Nor Aidora had the court in stitches when she said, “I know you are angry but do not shout and be angry with me. I am here to assist the court.”
Rattled by this, Ram asked his question calmly, to which Nor Aidora denied that her superior would dictate to her what to do.
She said she would follow what is required by the police POL 31 form.
The witness said normally the police will come to the DNA counter and Lim would then assign the cases to the chemist whom he deemed fit.
Ram: Normally your DG would sit at the counter to give the case?
Nor Aidora: No. he would be in the office in the main building.
Ram: He must have knowledge of this case?
Nor Aidora: I do not know, as the DG had discussed matters with the head of the forensic division and her section head.
“They decided to give this 'high profile' case to me. I did not know what were the samples but was told to wait for it.”
She said when she conducted her test, Seah had already left for the United States.
Nor Aidora said she obtained a perfect DNA sample from the samples given to her.
She had earlier testified that she swabbed the towel, toothbrush handle and bristles and also the mouth and cap of the mineral water bottle in search of DNA.
The witness admitted she did not do a test for degradation.
Nor Aidora said she found DNA in 10 of the samples retrieved from the toothbrush, towel and mineral water bottle which were obtained through trace sampling.
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