KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 – The Shah Alam District Court was told today that a truck driver accused of killing his girlfriend by pushing the Thai woman from the 23rd floor of a residential complex in February is fit to stand trial.

Lawyer Sivahnanthan Ragava, who represents 37-year-old V. Nathan, confirmed this when contacted by Bernama, the national news agency reported today.

“Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Farah Sofea Norazman informed Judge Mohamad Redza Azhar Rezali that according to a psychiatric report from Hospital Bahagia Tanjung Rambutan, Perak, the accused was mentally stable and therefore fit to stand trial at the time of the incident.”

“The court has set October 24 as the next hearing of the case,” said the lawyer, who is assisted by Cyrus Tiu Foo Woei.

In April, the court ordered that the accused undergo a psychiatric examination. Sivahnanthan had requested this, saying that the accused had difficulty following instructions and cooperating in the murder trial.

Nathan is charged with the murder of Mawika Lumyai, 32, at a condominium at Jalan Setia Dagang AH U13/AH, Setia Alam, at 10.02am on February 28.

The charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code carries the death penalty if convicted. If the death penalty is not imposed, the sentence is up to 40 years imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane.