Dr Nor Hamidah Mohd Salleh says a normal person will either push an attacker away or run |
KUALA LUMPUR: Nirmala's Bonat's evidence that she stood still when a hot iron was allegedly placed on her back by her employer in 2004 was not the behaviour of a normal person, the Sessions Court heard yesterday.
She said Nirmala's evidence that she had covered her face with her palms facing inwards as she was allegedly assaulted on the nose with a stainless steel mug that led to a fracture of her nasal bone was not that of a normal person.
She said a normal person would either push an attacker away or run away.
Dr Nor Hamidah said this when replying to questions from Jagjit Singh, counsel for Yim Pek Ha, 40, who is charged with scorching Nirmala with a hot iron and scalding her with hot water at her Villa Putra condominium in Jalan Tun Ismail here in January, March and April 2004.
Dr Nor Hamidah is the 12th and last defence witness to testify in the trial.
Earlier, Dr Nor Hamidah said the difference between a normal person and those suffering from mild mental retardation was their coping or defending mechanism.
She said those suffering from mild mental retardation would have a slow defending mechanism due to their immature brain.
On Aug 12, Alex Ng Wei Siong, a consultant clinical psychologist, had told the court that Nirmala's IQ was below average and that she had mild mental retardation.
He had explained that there were five degrees of severity reflecting the level of intellectual impairment and that Nirmala's IQ was on the first level.
Yesterday, Dr Nor Hamidah said distinguishing mild mental retardation could be done by observing functioning skills in terms of personal affairs, socially and operationally.
"It can also be seen through the IQ test," she said.
To a question, she said people with mild mental retardation looked normal with good verbal, writing and reading skills.
She said they could be educated up to Year Six, while some could study up to Form 3.
"When they grow up, they can live in normal surroundings which are familiar but would react badly under stress."
She also said that those with mild mental retardation were capable of injuring themselves when they were suffering from other clinical conditions like depression or when they had other behavioural problems like epilepsy.
She said that in some cases, those with mild mental retardation may not respond normally to pain.
"That is why in some cases, when under stress, they would knock their head or bite their hand."
Dr Nor Hamidah said this did not mean that they had high resistance to pain.
In terms of personal care, Dr Nor Hamidah said people with mild mental retardation would have poor oral hygiene and may need supervision and care.
The trial before Judge Akhtar Tahir continues.
