Man chokes to death on 'dodol' on Hari Raya

An elderly man died after choking on local delicacy 'dodol' at his house at Taman Merbok, Bukit Baru here on the first day of Hari Raya last Friday.

K. Sanmugam, 67, experienced breathing difficulties after a piece of dodol got stuck in his throat while he and his wife, S. Santhaletchmy, 66, were enjoying the delicacy around 10am.

Santhaletchmy said seeing him struggling, she patted his back several times and also tried to take the dodol out of his mouth using her fingers.

"I bought that dodol more than a week ago and I cut it into little pieces. At first I had advised him to not eat it but he refused to listen to me," she told reporters here today.

She added her husband later fainted and was rushed to the Pantai Hospital here for treatment.

However, she said she was told by the doctor that her husband was in a serious condition and died a few minutes later.

Santhaletchmy said her husband, a former employee of SMW Environment and Melaka Historic City Council, suffered a stroke 15 years ago which caused his movements to be limited but he managed to walk by himself slowly a few years later.