HAVING his transfer request from the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baru to Muar Hospital approved was the best news Dr Tai Eng Teck had since qualifying from an Indian medical college years earlier.
Tai, then 29, had wanted to be closer to his ailing father.
The youngest of nine children, Tai was relieved that he could be closer to home to take care of his father, then aged 70, and attend to his health issues.
To his colleagues, Tai was a true gentleman and a workaholic, who was dedicated to his duties.
Just a week before he reported for work at his new post, Tai travelled to Kuala Lumpur to sort out some documentation for a government-organised programme.
It was the last time his family saw him.
Four days after arriving in Kuala Lumpur, his family received news of his death on Sept 21, 1999.
Tai had been shot dead, not by criminals but by a police patrolman.
The incident occurred when Tai, a bachelor, was in his parked car with a female companion at the Bandar Tasik Selatan LRT station in Kuala Lumpur at about 10.30pm on Sept 20.
Two policemen on crime prevention patrol – a lance corporal and constable then aged 36 and 25 respectively – approached the car to carry out checks after spotting movements in the vehicle.
According to the policemen’s accounts, Tai abruptly reversed the vehicle and nearly knocked them down when they were approaching the car.
On seeing this, the younger policeman, constable Tony Beliang, whipped out his handgun and opened fire at the driver as he felt he was in danger.
The car hit a divider before coming to a halt. Tai’s female companion, a KL-based nurse in her 20s screamed.
Tai suffered three gunshots to his head and arm.
A passing motorist, flagged down by Tony, rushed Tai to the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
However, Tai’s female companion gave a different account of the incident.
As police investigations started, both policemen were arrested to facilitate the probe.
A day later, police top brass admitted negligence and that Tony had crossed the line by engaging his firearm.
Three days after Tai’s death, Tony, who is from Sarawak and had joined the police force less than two years earlier, was charged with manslaughter or culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Tony, who is an orphan and is married to a Sarawakian policewoman, was allowed bail by the court.
The following year, he was convicted of causing Tai’s death and was sentenced to eight years’ jail.
However, the sessions court allowed a stay of execution, which enabled Tony to appeal against the sentence.
Following the appeal, the High Court acquitted him in 2002.
The acquittal was overturned by the Court of Appeal in 2003 and Tony was ordered to serve his initial sentence of eight years’ jail meted out by the sessions court.
The policeman served the sentence at Kajang Prison.
