The Sinister – first she was stalked!
The Overt – then she had a police report made against her by, gosh gawd omigosh, by the very party with a vested interest in not having her expert testifying made in court,
The Covert – now she is made persona non grata in Malaysia, with this message conveyed to her ‘quietly’ through informal channels (and there are such between nations throughout the world) that she is not welcomed to testify in court after the 2nd autopsy.
They want her silenced, but we know that the most profound statements are often said in silence.
She was the one who alerted us, post 1st autopsy, that Teoh Beng Hock was probably a victim of homicide, contrary to the findings of the 1st autopsy, an indictment on so-called professionals that populates Malaysian public institutes.
As for Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, officially the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and unofficially the government’s chief head-kicker, I have to confess sometimes I like what he said though alas, most times I don’t.
But in his disgraceful unsubstantiated criticism of Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand as a liar and one who had lied in (the inquest) court, obviously a too-hasty and over-the-top reaction to her bombshell that the Malaysian authority sent a veiled threat to the Bangkok authority that she isn't welcomed in Malaysia, I would say “The minister doth protest too much, methinks" with apologies to William Shakespeare for paraphrasing his quote in his Hamlet, Act III, scene II.
As Gobind Singh Deo, representing the Teoh family in the inquest into Teoh Beng Hock’s now-not-so-mysterious death, said to Nazri:
“I challenge Nazri to offer himself as a witness at the inquest to prove his allegation that Dr Porntip had lied in court.”
“Instead of assisting the Teoh family and trying to solve the problem, Nazri Aziz has spoken volumes for the government to the contrary.”
“Is there a real desire on part of the government to see justice done for Teoh Beng Hock or do they hope to discredit those who have helped establish a case against suicide on his behalf as seems to be the case here?”
I can answer the last part – no and yes!
NO to any real desire to see justice done for Teoh Beng Hock, and YES to discredit those who have helped establish a case against suicide (meaning it was homicide)!
Do you recall how the former IGP, Mohd Bakri Omar, threatened UMNO that the police will not support the BN in the general election if AAB established the IPCMC, and that the government backed down?
In my May 2006 posting IGP worried, PM wishy-washy, PAS whoring? I wrote:
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng criticised the police threats of its work-to-rule and en bloc resignation consequences if the IPCMC is established:
“By threatening to allow crime to rise is utterly irresponsible and a complete surrender of the moral and legal authority of the police."
“Those who can even entertain allowing crime to rise and put property and public safety at risk as a mark of protest should either resign or be sacked for such selfish and anti-national interests attitude.”
“Abdullah must act quickly to regain the initiative over his agenda of anti-corruption, transparency, accountability and good governance by ending the open police ‘revolt’ so as to regain control of the police force.”
I also wrote:
... the police arrogance may yet turn into a blessing in disguise for an increasingly unpopular PM Abdullah Badawi. It's ironical that he has been presented with a God-sent opportunity to redeem himself.
If he tames the feral Malaysian police force by immediately sacking the IGP and the top layer of police officers, he could well be another Truman or Sadat - dull 'deputies' who took over from flashy flamboyant predecessors, but who by a fate of history became world or outstanding national leaders in their own rights.
Fate indeed has presented Abdullah Badawi with this crucial moment in his career. Will he seize this momentous opportunity gratefully? I fear not!
I was right.
Instead of investigating whether Dr Pornthip’s allegation has any truth, Nazri’s obscenely hasty pre-emptive attempt at protecting MACC (like AAB obligated to concede to the police) merely confirms UMNO’s continuing obligation, regardless of the merits of the case, to its political apparatus like the police, MACC, etc.
We learn at very tender age to tie the horse where your boss wants you tie it even if you know that it going to die because of your action. I remember very vividly my prmary school days when I has to say the right things to my father before I could get some pocket mouney tof him.
ReplyDeleteWe must learn form the developed countries that development without freedoms means slavery. We must go for all round development and not produce yes men who only say no when their bosses say no. Ramalx
Sorry, but to me Dr Pornthip's explanation simply doesn't wash.
ReplyDeleteIf indeed she had wanted to testify at the TBH inquiry and the Malaysian Govt had threatened to disrupt her work in Southern Thailand if she testified, what would her recent actions have most likely achieved? She doesn't testify and yet still succeeds in antagonizing the Malaysian govt. If indeed they had the power to stop her work in Thailand, what better way to guarantee this than to piss them off in this way? A rational person would have either testified and pissed them off, or not testified and kept quiet.
An embarassment of a minister he may be, but I think in this case Nazri is probably right - Pornthip doesn't want to testify and the alleged political pressure is just an excuse.
Git