The Malaysian Insider
Jul 13, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — A group of doctors said today they were prepared to provide sworn affidavits to say that police had fired tear gas and chemical-laced water into the compounds of the Tung Shin and Chinese Maternity Hospitals during the Bersih rally last Saturday.
In a statement tonight, 11 doctors, including some who were at the scene, said they were outraged at the actions of the police in firing tear gas and water cannons without scant regard for the safety of patients and doctors.
“We, the undersigned doctors, wish not to enter into the polemics of the Bersih 2.0 march on 9th July 2011 but would like to clarify the inconvenient truth.
“We are outraged at the incidents, and the subsequent responses from the authorities, to the events where tear gas and chemical-laced water were shot into the compounds of the Tung Shin and Chinese Maternity Hospitals, two adjacent buildings along Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, with scant regard for the safety of patients, staff and the general public who were at the buildings that afternoon,” the doctors said.
Their statement contradicts that of Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai who had denied the police had shot into the hospital compounds, claiming instead that the wind had blown the gas in.
Liow also said that shots from the water cannons had only brushed the edges of the hospital walls.
The police have also denied shooting directly into the hospital compounds after protesters had sought refuge there.
The statement tonight by the senior doctors is likely to embarrass the authorities who have claimed minimal force was used.
“Hospitals are considered as safe sanctuaries for all, even during wartime, but these consecrated places of refuge and protection were violated by the defence forces that afternoon. Police even entered the buildings in search of some of these peaceful marchers.
“What was most frightening and witnessed by many was the unprovoked violent assault within the hospital compounds and the apprehension of several protesters who had merely run into the hospitals to seek shelter from the tear gas and the water cannons.
“It is repulsive that the authorities entrusted with policing the nation and protecting the weak and needy, have shamelessly denied publicly, the occurrence of these incidents in spite of countless photo/video and eyewitness accounts of what was evident to all independent observers,” they said.
Yesterday, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, a former health minister, said the police had to fire tear gas near Tung Shin Hospital to protect its patients from Bersih 2.0 protesters who had sought refuge there.
The MCA president said the situation should be viewed “in totality”, pointing out that the police would be accused of not doing their job had they decided against dispersing the crowd of protesters that had run into the hospital.
Dr Chua also said it was difficult to determine what exactly transpired at the hospital on Saturday as it was hard to tell the whole story from the photos and videos that have emerged online since then.
The doctors who signed the statement refuting claims by Dr Chua, Liow and the police are:
Dr Ng Kwee Boon — Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Datin Dr Low Paik See — Consultant Paediatrician
Dato’ Dr Musa Mohd Nordin — Consultant Paediatrician & Neonatologist
Dr Mazeni Alwi — Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist
Dr David Quek — Consultant Cardiologist
Dr Sheikh Johari Bux — Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
Dr Steve Wong — Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa — Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Dr Ng Swee Choon — Consultant Cardiologist
Dr Mary Cardosa — Consultant Anaesthesiologist
Dr Jeffrey Abu Hassan — Consultant Chest Physician
Now you doctors in tung shin repeat after me. And do it three times ok?
UMNO IS GOD.
Good. Again.
UMNO IS GOD.
Yes. And again.
UMNO IS GOD.
So now tear up you people’s sworn statement.
Well done people. Well done.
Great news!
The country needs all young Malaysians that have not registered to vote to do so for country and people.
All along..we old folks have seen and read enough of BN politicians.. telling lies…twisting …flip flopping….to keep fooling Malaysians.
These are not politicians.
These are opportunists….rouges and thieves..taken up politics for personal benefits.
That shows how low Mca’s top two leaders are willing to go.These lapdogs are willing to sink to the lowest level that no living creatures would want to go just to please their Umno masters.They were willing to lie to help cover an heinous crime.CSL and TLT are creatures of a special bred who doesn’t understand the meaning of disgrace and shame.They are traitors to all Malaysians.
CSL and LTL are two scumbags who are willing to kowtow to their Umno masters.These people are called running dogs. Unconsienable and disgraceful cowardly scums.
And you think that the mainstream press would publish this statement ? Pigs can fly….
This morning at the World Cup Women Soccer semi-final between France and USA before the game started the players of both teams held a huge banner which says “SAY NO TO RACISM” in bold letters.They were refering to our Umno GOM who has a seat at UNHRG not to make Human Right’s a mokery.I guessed that the beating up of peaceful protestors on July 9th have caused much anger among women soccer players too.
Maybe the women soccer players were refering to the cowardly attack on Tung Shin Hospital by our brave men in blue.Hahaha.
It is expected! MCA stands for “Mother Cums As*”! They are bunch of suckers and lizards who speak with fork and sneaky tongues!
Enough sh*t coming out of their mouths, please shut them all… Suckers and lizards!!!
We need honest sons and daughters.
We need honest fathers and mothers.
We need honest individuals and most important honest Malaysians.
We need Malaysians with utmost integrity and compassion.
If we as Malaysians can have all these qualities we as a country can move far and forward!
Mr Health Minister and Tung Shin Board Chairman, you have both been caught telling a blatant lie. Unless you can refute with strong evidence this statement by the 11 doctors whose integrity are anytime better than yours and some of whom were on duty in Tung Shin that day, then do the decent thing and apologise. By the same way you make the false claim through a press conference, also apologise to the public your lie. At the same press conference, Mr Health Minister, be a man and not a UMNO ball carrier and condemn the police for their actions. Better still ask Amar Singh and that big mouth Home Minister to apologise if you dare.
Liow Tiong Lai had blamed the Tung Shin Board for giving him the wrong information. The Tung Shin Board should clarify this. If it is true, the Board, which have been entrusted with the affairs of Tung Shin, have disgraced the Tung Shin Hospital and the entire Board should resign immediately because you have destroyed all your integrity and have no moral grounds to stay on. If not, you should issue a clarification and crucify the minister if you have to because we do not want such people to stay in the Cabinet. They have proven to be untrustworthy once and they will repeat their actions.
LTL and Tung Shin Board should be gassed…
Liow Tiong Lai, “You are a blooming liar! As a Minister of Health, you are more interested in wiping your master’s as-hole than concerned with the welfare of those patients in Tung Shin hospital on that disastrous day. What sort of human being are you?
MCA scumbags, as expected belong to the lowest tier of human decency.
To the 11 noble doctors who spoke the truth, “I salute thee”….you are my heroes.
Again may ask for RCI into Tung Shin Hospital tear-gas appeal.Then may have RCI looking into Baharudin’s dead cause.
What does it imply when too many RCI added many RCI request that still is pending?
Totally more waste of our tax payer’s money thus better resign or stand off for the present government la!
The Police were ‘provoked’ so everything they did was justified. Besides, they used only ‘minimal force’ and were following SOP at that time and did not have any evil intentions. Trust the Police.
Did they arrest any DAP member or any of its leaders?
So why all the fuss?
Come on. Tear gas is completely harmless. Ask jib. He knows all about tear gas. That was why he could tell that anwar (and by extension, the rest of the people) was only acting. Harmless and why the fuss about gas cannisters being fired in hospital grounds?