By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 — The DAP has demanded that the Cabinet convenes an emergency meeting to discuss Thai pathologist Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunand’s claims of “political pressure” which had forced her to pull out from testifying in the on-going Teoh Beng Hock inquest.
DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang said Dr. Pornthip’s claims of external pressure from Putrajaya that “could affect her work” in Thailand was a serious matter, which needed to be addressed immediately.
“The Cabinet should convene an emergency meeting to send a message that Dr. Pornthip be allowed to come and testify..to ensure her safety and well-being here and no pressure (from any parties),” said Lim at a press conference attended by Teoh family lawyer Gobind Singh Deo.
He also slammed Minister in Prime Minister’s department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz for accusing Dr. Pornthip of lying about allegations of political pressure, and stressed that Nazri should withdraw his statements and apologize.
“Nazri has made very serious statements when he said that Dr. Pornthip had lied during the inquest and she’s lying now, when she said that she had been pressured from coming to testify in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest.”
“How does Nazri know that it (Dr.Pornthip’s) statements are baseless? If Nazri is saying that he is privy to all, the MACC, government..Nazri should explain (how does he know),” said Lim.
Gobind berated Nazri’s actions and said that it was unbecoming of a de facto law minister to make such unsubstantiated claims.
“I agree. The conduct by Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz as de facto minister is unbecoming..Nazri should have not jumped to conclusions, investigate the matter first. There is no basis to allege that it is a lie without investigation. It is uncalled for for Nazri to call her a liar.
“If Nazri has proof, I challenge him to show proof,” said the Puchong MP.
The lawyer also stated that the matter needed to be brought to the highest legal authority of the land.
“The Attorney-General should intervene in the case. Nazri should consult the Attorney-General,” he said.
Gobind also revealed that Teoh’s lawyers were considering several options in the case, and one was the possibility of citing Nazri for contempt of court.
“This is something that we will have to consult further. If he does not prove it, we will consider taking matters further.”
“We need to take it one step at a tome, give him (Nazri) an opportunity to respond. I challenge him to come to the inquest,” he added.
The Thai pathologist’s reported pull-out from testifying in the Teoh inquest next week due to political interference has raised fears among the Teoh family and the DAP that the case is being tampered with at the highest level.
The Selangor government has confirmed the Thai pathologist is not returning when the inquest resumes on April 20 but they want the coroner to agree to testimony via video-conferencing.
Dr Pornthip, 54, the director-general of Thailand’s Central Institute of Forensic Science, had reportedly pulled out from the ongoing case, claiming she was forced to do so because of “political pressure” from Putrajaya that could affect her work in southern Thailand.
However Nazri believes that Dr Pornthip is lying because she cannot defend her testimonial in the inquest.
The flashy Thai pathologist had testified in court here that Teoh’s death was “80 per cent homicide”, contradicting Malaysian pathologists who say the political aide could have fallen to his death or suicide.
Her second testimony will be crucial to the inquest, and to prove allegations that there was foul play in Teoh’s death.
Teoh, 30, had been questioned by anti-graft officers investigating claims his boss had misused state funds. He was found dead on July 16 last year, nine floors below the Selangor MACC’s office in Shah Alam.
Dr Porn busy at Patpong dont u see?
And chengho is living proof man can live without a brain.
Yet another classic display of low-class mentality by our retarded HP6 politicians. Like that how to catch up with Singapore?
We are speeding towards the direction of Zimbabwee with this kind of attitiude and standard of administration. No wonder our graduates are unemployable. I hope Obama will tick off Najib.
The root cause of our problems, for decades, is the couldn’t care less and self-serving UMNO/BN government!
If you want a better future, just dump them!
Atan’s case the real culprits got away scot-free,now TBH’s case,they want to get away scot free again. It just shows how pathetic these guys are. If it involved their family members,how would they feel ?.I think the PM should reprimand Nazi immediately before he causes futther damage.
Bottom line – they are throwing the govt resource, machinery and everything in between to go after Anwar. The case against Anwar, legally speaking has ‘unclean hands’ – its grounds for mistrial. The case ought to be thrown out base on Nazri’s statement alone…
Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz asked Dr Pornthip to reveal who “forced” her to pull out from Teoh Beng Hock’s inquest. He said the government is not able to respond without concrete information. “Tell me who it is? We want to know because we do not know the truth then how can we help her? Anybody can say that they have been forced but we would like to know who has been forcing her….That is why I said that she is a liar. I do not believe that the Malaysian government and our officials would harass her and stop her from coming because we know that if she has been allowed to enter the first time then why should we stop her from entering the second time. The date was also delayed to allow her to come..” Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani’s report in The MalaysianInsider, April 12th.
Predictably the government will not say it has any part to do with “pressure” on Dr Pornthip. They cannot afford to be seen implicated in such a thing. At the same time there’s no reason for Dr Pornthip to lie about the pressure. Equally if she was prepared to voluntarily enter the first time then why should she not prepared to do so the second time around by cooking such an excuse if pressure were not really applied???
The whole situation gets complicated because as I speculate the pressure on Dr Pornthip came directly from the Thai Government which in turn could be indirectly pressured by some powerful quarters (described by Porntip as “indirect channels”) here which allows our government to at the same time disclaim knowledge much less responsibility for that pressure!
Please note that renowned pathologist Dr Porntip is Director General of Thailand’s Institute of Forensic Science. That being the case she is a civil servant, and being a Thai civil servant, her hands are tied in having to listen to what her employer, the Thai Govt, requires!
And the Thai Govt is vulnerable/sensitive to pressure from the Malaysian side because of the long standing problem of insurgency of separatist minority Muslims in Southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat and five districts of Songkhla province—Chana, Thepa, Na Thawi, Saba Yoi, and Sadao who are ethnically, culturally and in religious terms closer to those on this side of the border that the Buddhist majority in rest of Thailand. One of the biggest obstacles in controlling the insurgency is the Thai government’s inability to identify who is orchestrating insurgent attacks. Insurgent leaders & followers slip strike, across the border, and return to strike somemore. Thai govt need our authorities to stop/prevent our locals from providing safe havens for the rebels. In the fashion of the British then tackling Comunist insurgency in Malaysia the standard rule in the book to reduce alienation/discontent from marginalised minorities is to bring socio-economic development, which the Thai Govt is attempting to do by jointly and billaterally developing with Malaysian Govt the border region as a special economic development zone as part of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle!
All these point to the fact that the Thai Government needs the fullest cooperation of the Malaysian government to contain the insugency problem in the South, more than ever now because Bangkok is now in turmoil in the fight between the red and yellow shirts – which makes it doubly easy for whosoever are those who claim and convince the Thais that they represent our side and wants a reciprocal concession from it to prevent Dr Porntip from helping out in TBH’s case.
All in, whoever must have thought it good strategy – to borrow (according to old Chinese saying) someone else’s knife to do the job, where one does not get blamed or his own hands bloodied!
BN Minsters are 80% lie whereas Doctors are 80% truth.
If the allegation is not specific, it is easy to make and also easy to defend. The best is to ask Dr Porntip or the Thai official (that Dr Porntip mentioned) to state specifically who in Malaysia have pressured her. Once that information is revealed, it is easier to go after that Malaysian official to confirm or deny.
Sometimes officials do things with their own initiative, thinking that will please their bosses. So it is not right for Nazri to reject outright, neither must he accept the accusation as true. It is better for him to ask Dr Porntip who in Malaysia has directed who in Thailand.
The search for the truth is always being trampled on in Bolehland. The the party behind the trampling is none other than UMNO.
sorry…”And the party behind the trampling is none other than….”
Nazri claimed that Pornthip lied when she appeared before the inquiry. He has to substantiate that claim.
A court case should be taken against Nazri, for libel, not just the contempt of the court.
chengho’s grandmothers, mothers wife and daughters are very at chow Kit road?
Yea, another so-called minister shitting from his mouth!
Nazri is just a big mouth politician opportunists…swinging to and fro…and one day…will land himself at the tong sampah.
He knows how to please some voters…going against Mahathir..making mamak…hoping mad.
But at e same time….he wants to be hero to Police Force…with this recent most ridiculous comment from a so call Law Minister from the government.
Calling Dr.Pornthip a liar…when the whole world recognizes her as a brilliant” Dr. Death”….solving so many murder cases…reminds me of Najib saying…”FRIVOLOUS”..one word…to shut Balan’s mouth. He has to say something…to move on….forget the pass…just all Malaysians keep moving on..indirectly….making suckers of Malaysians with all the stunts…slogans and half truths told.
Nazri…must apply hs own stunts…and this time…he is asking for trouble from Teoh Beng Hock’s family.
However…you can bet….when the going is no good for any UMNO minister…all crooks will come out to protect each other.
Dr.P should have take the challenge and courage to finish off her duty despite pressure from Malaysia government if she is a professional with high integrity.Why surrender half way through the battles ?.It.s matter of pride that means most.
WE’ll hear this in the following up news.Let’s contribute what we can for the future.
Easier said than done..kpt99.
When you are put in that position..by a vicious cruel government…you need to think twice for your love ones.
But..I believe she may turn up…with full protections…when the chips are down for Najib.
That’s how UMNO BARU conduct themselves…talk big…than balls shrink when exposed as idiots…and voters keep running away.
That’s the two faces of most UMNO ministers..talk big….than dare not act.
Dr Porn not 80% sure now;
somebody found Dr Porn report in the dustbin.
16. In my opinion, based on the observation I have made, I believe the skull fructure was caused by a blunt forced injury to the head on the left side which could have been inflicted by a fall or beating using a blunt object.
A FALL?
First of all, Dr. Porntip shouldn’t be attending the case of TBH. It gorssly shows the lost of confidence from the public towards Malaysian enforcement and justice system. If we are fair and there is no bullying from the Malay supremacy towards the minority, Malays could held their heads high and command the nation like a real gentleman!
Chengho is busy polishing Najib’s balls.
It sucks to see pro UMNO worms insulting Dr.Pornthrip.
Cantonese have a saying…”Yan yeow kei…kui yeow kei”…meaning these buggers have two faces…a human being and a devil too.
Yes…Chengho is one typical two faces animal.
Dr. Death is world famous for her reports and findings…and anything about to exposed UMNO crooks….comes all sorts of obstructions for justices be done.
LKS is at their hells…and right now…the famous twister Nazri said….no one is stopping her to come…with no guarantee for her to be safe and sound..having heard Teoh’s family are going to sue that big mouth.
Why must Dr. Pornthrip be afraid or lied in her report…after all these years…only with a case from Malaysia.
Yes…Balan lied…..Dr lied….all PR leaders are liars…and Najib is the most truthful of all.
Dr. P has put us in a hot spot. I think she should testify, at least by video-conferencing. That’s because she has already committed herself, absolutely, in favour of a finding of murder.