By Patrick Lee
July 11, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today
KUALA LUMPUR: Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai today slammed Bersih protesters for seeking refuge in the Tung Shin Maternity Hospital when the police charged them on Saturday.
He said that the protesters should have stayed away from the Jalan Pudu hospital, instead of “ambushing” it during the rally.
“We need to take care of our hospital. It must be protected. Even demonstrators should not ambush the hospital,” he told reporters at Tung Shin today.
Liow said this after having a nearly hour-long meeting with Tung Shin’s board of directors.
The minister added that the hospital, though meant for the public, should not have been a place of refuge for the demonstrators.
“We can’t just close the hospital. It is here for the public. The hospital is here to treat anybody that needs our help.”
“(But), it should be away from all kinds of problems. We don’t want demonstrators to create chaos in the hospital as well,” he said.
During Saturday’s rally, Bersih supporters were caught between two groups of police and Federal Reserve Units along Jalan Pudu.
Forced to retreat from the oncoming policemen and multiple tear gas canisters, many of the protesters sought a safe haven in the hospital.
What happened after that remains highly debatable with the protesters and several other eye-witnesses saying that the police had fired tear gas into the hospital to lure out the protesters. There are also photographic and video evidence to show this.
However the police have denied this, stating that they did not fire any tear gas into the hospital compound. Liow and the hospital’s directors today backed the police on this.
Wind brought in the smoke
Liow, the MCA deputy president, also offered his own explanation on how the tear gas and water cannon could have hit the hospital compound.
“It is confirmed that when they (police) sent the tear gas out, it’s not into the hospital. Maybe when the wind blew, the smoke (may have) gone in this direction. We won’t know,” he said.
“Even the water cannon they’re shooting at 45 degrees, at the main road, maybe at the edge of it (may have entered the hospital).”
Liow also slammed DAP leaders for their visit to the hospital yesterday, accusing them of trying to score political mileage.
“They are trying to implicate this hospital and shed a bad light on Malaysia to the world. They are trying to highlight that the police shot tear gas and water cannon into the hospital,” he said.
The minister blamed Pakatan Rakyat and Bersih supporters for the gathering, which he said, led to the hospital’s problems.
He also took a swipe at DAP’s Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching for claiming that the firing of tear gas into the hospital went against the Geneva Convention.
Liow that such a remark was “uncalled for”.
Hospital: No tear gas, a bit of water maybe
Tung Shin board chairman Ng Beh Tong was also adamant that no tear gas canisters reached the hospital area.
“There is no tear gas shot into our Tung Shin compound,” he said.
Ng however admitted that some water from the FRU cannons may have entered the hospital compound.
“As far as the water cannons are concerned, some water may have sprayed into our outside car park,” he said.
Some policemen, Ng conceded, may have entered the compound in their pursuit of the protesters.
Defending the police, Ng also said that police officers had later brought some of the injured rally-goers to the hospital for treatment.
More than 1,600 people were arrested in last Saturday’s rally, which saw over 15,000 Bersih supporters take to the streets of KL.
soooooooooo the smoke from a gas bomb exploded near the hospital is not a tear gas bomb?
Water cannon spread out?
What kind of water…pure water or mixed with chemicals?
Anyway…Najib said Police are not in the wrong..this and that.
An MCA puppet must come out to say something good about Police to be a good loyal puppet.
Chua Soi Lek on sick leave?
LTL,first you say that the police never attacked the hospital.Now you are saying that your wife had a baby.Next what,you going for a sex change.Stupid idiot.An attack on a hospital is an attack on a hospital.You moron.You will always be an useless scum.
Don’t blame Ng Beh Tong: He is protecting his own rice bowl. He is caught in an unenviable situation and as an individual with a weak backbone we understand he needs a clutch.
When the FRU is going after you with Chemical laced water , Gas canister, batons etc, you jolly well run for your life.
You might have to ‘AMBUSH’ longkang, tong sampah, jamban etc
So what makes our LTL hospital so sacred, After all, your life could be snuffed out any moiment
What dif does it really make?
Morons know these !!!!!
LTL,you are a useless dirty soiled creature.Don’t tell me you condone the police action on the protestors on the hospital compound.The police cornered the defendless,unarmed protestors with tear gas,water cannons and police charging with batons into the hospital compound.Because once they are in the compound they cannot escape anymore.
On the streets the protestors can escape whereas in the carpark they are cornered.That was the plan of the police.The protesters are not rowdy,not like the police.There was no need for the police to attack the hospital.All it need was for a policeman to used a loudhailler to ask the protesters to come out.Where can they go.You are a souless scum.
You will forever be called a lowdown scum.You a supporter of all the wrongs committed by your masters.A cheerleader who is feed leftover crumbs.
This video was taken by me right in the compound of Tung Shin
http://youtu.be/gIa9_4AojlU
Liow Tiong Lai, ou are such a pathetic liar. Has anybody ever told you that there is such a thing as videography in this 21st century?
OMG, for a little control over political damage, you are quite content to let UMNO pull the wool over your eye! Where did you receive your schooling? have you ever read confucius? Do you know anything of the great Chinese classics and the value of Chinese cultural upbringing or are you also quite content to mix and be tarnished by the scUM(NO) of the earth. OK, you were a product of UKM but that is no blardi excuse. You can’t even come measure close to anything like Dr Toh Kin Woon, one of your Professors from UKM, I think. He would never prostitute his soul for gold or an Alphard.
You are just despicable for selling out the Chinese moral high ground. Actually, I would never suffer fools like you. Budak kecil, pergi main jauh-jauh.
LTL,you are a traitor to the human race.You will sell your soul for pennies.You will go down on all fours when your master Najib snapped his fingers.What do you get in return.Dog treats.
Aiyah, this UMNO lapdog is incapable of speaking the truth…if he lied, the the curses stay with him! Licking marbles is what he does best. Deranged low life, Liow Tiong Lai, I was there!
Do you understand Liow’s English? If he cannot speak good English, please just speak Malay. His Malay could be better than his English
Ng Beh Tong…thanks for letting the world know that as far as Malaysia is concerned, medicine in Malaysia is all about making money first….then worrying about the rest….
Bravo..Tung Shin Hospital!
May your founders roll in their graves…
Even demonstrators should not ambush the hospital says LTL. Ambush what .You stupid blockhead.A HM doesn’t understand the word ambush,simple English tak faham lah Liow,alamak lah.Susah ni macham,apa nak buat lah liow.Kamu buat malu saya sahaja.
Take refuge lah,bukan ambush lah you donkey.How can this guy be a doctor.He might misunderstood operation as abortion.Ini macham patient mampus lah.Fetus pun hilang lah.A HM,no wonder our health system is upside down.
Moron LTL you are just a scumhead unfit to be a Minister better still a pussy cat at Rosmah’s mansion.Video recordings don’t lie BUT Minister doubtful.May you knelt before your ancestors graves and plead for all the sins and ask for forgiveness.