The son-in-law, Syed Alman Zain Syed Alwi, died after receiving dental treatment.

A three-member bench, comprising Justices Hamid Sultan Abu Backer, Hanipah Farikullah and Hadhariah Syed Ismail dismissed the prosecution’s appeal against the acquittal of Dr Ting Teck Chin, an obstetric and gynaecology specialist.

Ting’s lawyer, K Kumaraendran, said Justice Hamid had held that it was abuse of process to charge a professional doctor under the Penal Code.

The judge also held that the Sessions Court judge had been intelligent enough to stop the abuse, Kumaraendran said when met after the court proceeding today.

He said the Court of Appeal dismissed the prosecution’s appeal after hearing submissions by deputy public prosecutor Allan Suman Pillai.

He said the defence was not required to respond to the prosecution’s submission.

On Aug 10, 2018, the Sessions Court discharged and acquitted Dr Ting, 40, without ordering him to enter his defence after finding the prosecution having failed to establish a prima facie case.

The prosecution filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal after losing its appeal at the High Court on April 4, last year.

Ting was charged with causing the death of Syed Alman Zain, 44, during a dental treatment at the Imperial Dental Specialist Centre in Bangsar Baru, between 6pm and 9.05pm on June 1, 2016.

He had been charged with culpable homicide under the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years or a fine or both, on conviction.

Syed Alman, who was married to Zahid’s eldest daughter, Nurulhidayah, was reported to have lost consciousness while receiving dental treatment at the centre and was referred to the University of Malaya Medical Centre before being pronounced dead.

Ting was also represented by lawyers Dev Kumaraendran and Teh See Khoon.