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Forensic Science
By Peace | April 23, 2011
Dead Men Do Tell Tales (Professor Chao Tzee Cheng)
Professor Chao Tzee Cheng (simplified Chinese: 赵自成; pinyin: Zhào Zìchéng; 22 September 1934 in Hong Kong – 21 February 2000 in New York) was a renowned forensic pathologist in Singapore. Chao was respected for solving several notorious crimes in Singapore, and raised Singapore’s level of professionalism in the area of forensics.
Larger than life. A big-hearted man. Mentor to many. Approachable to all. He has been described as ‘the best living example of the adage that happiness does not come from doing what you like but from liking what you do’. A medical practitioner whose glittering rise and indelible impact in the field of forensic pathology has no parallel in Singapore. No amount of words in this tribute can do justice to a man who did justice throughout his career.
Just awoken from a dream. I was at my old house, Boon Lay Drive. In front of the two blocks of flat was a grassland. Coming back from the hospital (met TSH at ME…), I saw blue tent on the left (Somewhere In front of Blk 170). There were lots of crowds gathering at the place. It was very dark and I could not see clearly. I saw Richard and my mother. They were surrounding the so-called “CORPSE” (but I don’t know if the person was dead a not. I did not get to see the corpse. People were surrounding it. I seemed to see the legs. I did not know the details of the crime. I saw the word “POLICE” on the blue tent. Next, I wanted to eat photographs but Richard was telling me not to.
Next, as I was walking towards the ‘car porch’ area, the place where I used to wait for my school bus, I saw Rina (my first Maid) standing there. Beside her was CEBEST! My hand was still holding on to a plastic disposable container (those that was used to contain take-away food from food court; with the printing that it can be used in microwave) with no cover. Inside the container, there were abnormal (MICROBIAL/FUNGAL) growth!!!! I brought back the container, the intention was to give to the maid — asked her to wash and gave water to the dog, Cebest!!! (surprising dream)
However, guess what Rina told me! I was holding a big red plastic bag. Inside the plastic bag, I saw a metal chain with a squarish silver bell. The chain was for the dogs. It was a old metal chain used by my old dog (Shih Tzu) with the name, BABY, bought from Balestier… Rina told me,”Michael Jackson’s sister (姐姐) said the collar was too long. They had bought another new one for him.” In the dream, I was so surprised to hear that! Then I peeped into the plastic bag and really saw the disposed silver chain with the bell. The bell was the squarish type. It was so new and I wanted to take it out. It was so wasteful to throw it away. But since nobody wanted it, on second thoughts, I threw it away also (leaving everything as it is). Next, I passed her the plastic container. Walking along the pavement/pathway leading to the 2 blocks of flat, I put a big plastic bag of plastic bags at the right hand side of the pavement (for easy use by the maid). Next, I saw Rina looking for small plastic bags and I asked her to come over to get it.
Isaac cried and I was awoken from my dream. Later on, when I was sleeping again, I had a strange ‘phenomenon’. I heard sound. I thought somebody (Richard) had come to my bedside. In my mind it was somebody had come standing on my bedside, his hand holding a black spherical thing (seem like a radio). I heard sound in my ears. I tried to open my eyes (which was so difficult), and saw a glimpse of Richard at the desk… I closed my eyes, knowing that nobody was at my side afterall…
Chao Tzee Cheng was born on 22 September 1934 in Hong Kong, the son of a professor in cultural studies and a school principal. He later migrated to Singapore with his parents and received his education at Catholic High School and Victoria Continuation School. Although offered a scholarship to read engineering in the United States, he decided to take up medicine at Hong Kong University. Graduating with an MBBS in Hong Kong in 1961, he took a Diploma in Clinical Pathology in 1967, followed by a Diploma of Pathology in 1968 and a Diploma of Medical Jurisprudence in 1968. In the three decades that followed, Professor Chao took the following honours that bear testimony to his own quest for excellence:
Professor Chao also served with great distinction in various capacities, including the Master of the Academy of Medicine (1992–1995), President of the Singapore Society of Pathology (1987–1990) and founded the Medico-Legal Society which was and continues to remain a unique forum, unifying the medical and legal professions and serving as its president from 1985 until his unexpected death.
At the time of his death in February 2000, he was holding the following posts in Singapore:
Founding Director and Special Forensic Advisor, Institute of Science and Forensic Medicine;
Senior Forensic Pathologist, Ministry of Health;
Clinical Professor, National University of Singapore; and
Emeritus Consultant, Singapore General Hospital.
His phenomenal workload included all the Coroner’s cases in Singapore and conducting the Forensic Medicine Course in the National University of Singapore.
His forensic prowess was demonstrated in the investigation of mass disasters such as the Spyros blast, the Cable Car tragedy, the Hotel New World collapse and the Silkair tragedy. He also helped solve notorious crimes in the annals of Singapore criminal law, such as the Adrian Lim cult murders, the Scripps Body Parts murders, the Bulgarian murder and the Flor Contemplacion case. For his services to the nation, Professor Chao was awarded the Public Administration Silver Medal in 1975, Gold Medal in 1979 and the Meritorious Medal in 1995.
Yet despite his outstanding reputation, he was known to stand for justice, no matter which side of the fence it stood on. For example, in 1975, he testified as an expert witness for the defence at the Kuala Lumpur High Court trial of Hugh Ashley Johnston for the murder of his wife. In the end, a six-to-one jury verdict held that Johnston had no intention to kill his wife.
Some of Professor Chao’s earlier cases which deserve to be better known were featured in a book which he co-wrote with Audrey Perera entitled Murder Is My Business. For a fascinating glimpse into Professor Chao’s work, please refer to the brief summary of five cases selected from the late Professor’s book. The real names of the parties have not been stated so as to protect the identities and privacy of the victims and their families.
Professor Chao’s untimely death on 21 February 2000 while in his sleep has robbed the medico-legal fraternity of one of its brightest stars. To quote the words of Malaysian High Court Judge, Dato’ Mahadev Shankar on 25 March 2000 in a speech given ‘In Memoriam of Professor Chao Tzee Cheng’:
Once in a while on our journey through life we are fortunate enough to meet someone who reshapes the way we look at things, and think about them. Such persons ennoble us by bestowing upon us a burning desire to seek out the truth and make it an integral part of our moral fibre. The late Professor Chao Tzee Cheng was one such mentor.
The legal profession will never forget this luminary of truth.
Topics: Family, home, Internet, Job, medicine, Nature, Personal, school, Singapore, spiritual, View All | 2 Comments »
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