Forgotten mental inmates

NST: Four inmates at the Sentosa Mental Hospital were languishing at the facility for years until hospital director Dr Abdul Kadir Abu Bakar intervened to seek their release.
Two were released last month while the other two are slated to enjoy freedom as soon as the courts rule in their favour on the hospital’s advice.
Chang Kui Hing, 76, better known to inmates as Ong Nga, was released on Oct 5 with Lai Oi Shin, 31, following eight days later.
Ong Nga, who had been at the hospital for 44 years after being accused of killing his wife in Bandar Sri Aman on Dec 24, 1961, was granted a discharge on Sept 30.
He has elected to remain at the hospital, the only home he has known for four decades.
Hospital authorities, to their credit, have allowed him to do so.
Lai, who is mentally impaired, was committed to the hospital in 1993 for a month for planting an unwanted kiss on a 19-year-old girl.
The month stretched to 12 years with freedom only savoured on Oct 13.
Two other inmates expected to be released soon are a 66-year-old woman, who has been at the hospital for 44 years, and a 42-year-old man who has been there for 16 years.
The woman was sent to the facility after being accused of poisoning her husband while the man had been accused of rape and murder.
If they had not been mentally ill and had pleaded guilty, they would have walked out of prison within 12 years, the maximum sentence for manslaughter.
Dr Abdul Kadir said he was also seeking the release over time of a group of 16 who have been at the hospital for years.
They had been found guilty by courts but also determined to be mentally ill.
Dr Kadir said he had recommended six of them for release since 2003 when he was posted to the hospital.
"Every month I have been presenting them before the Board of Visitors to be examined on their suitability for release."
He said the 16 were at the hospital at the pleasure of state rulers with their release only possible through an appeal by their family or the hospital.
Meanwhile, hospital senior psychiatrist, Dr Rafizzah Abdul Rahman, said Dr Abdul Kadir had introduced the review of cases under the "Sentosa Team Assessment and Rehabilitation" (Star) programme.
Under the programme, the hospital regularly reviews inmates' file for re-assessment.
They would then be categorised according to risk with those in the low-risk category assessed to ascertain if they should be recommended for release.
It was under this exercise that the cases of Ong Nga, Lai and the other two were recommended for release.
In fact, it was found that Ong Nga was recommended for release in 1986.
But his next-of-kin, a daughter given up for adoption, declined to take him.
Dr Rafizzah said Ong Nga could not be released on his own cognisance.
"Outside support is important so they (the family) could support him and make sure he is not a danger to society," she said.