The DAP has accused Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai of shifting his responsibility as health minister to a special committee that has been set up to investigate claims that police fired tear gas and water cannons into the Tung Shin Hospital during Saturday’s Bersih rally.
DAP publicity chief Tony Pua said in a statement today that the MCA deputy president should simply apologise for his earlier insistence that police had not fired at the hospital instead of attempting to defend the force.
“The health minister (has attempted) to abdicate his responsibility to a ‘special’ committee. Instead of a quick admission and apology, Liow has chosen to prolong the agony for himself and all Malaysians despite the mountain of irrefutable evidence which has already been made available to him,” the Petaling Jaya Utara MP said.
Pua (picture) pointed out that the MCA leader had admitted on Twitter three days ago that he has “seen and heard the videos and stories that some of you have posted on Facebook and Twitter.”
“It is also sickening that Liow is refusing to take responsibility for declaring in no uncertain terms that the police had not fired tear gas and water cannons into the hospital compound, incredulously blaming the ‘wind’ for any tear gas felt instead.
“He had even argued that the police officers were only bringing in injured Bersih supporters for treatment without arresting anyone. However, he is now blaming the hospital board for allegedly giving him the wrong information,” he added.
Liow had announced yesterday that a high-level committee headed by his ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Kamarul Zaman Md Isa will conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident “to clear the contradictions in various statements made by different parties over the last few days.”
The Tung Shin Hospital board had on Monday informed Liow that no tear gas canisters and water cannons were fired directly into the hospital which is located on Jalan Pudu, where some of the fiercest clashes between protestors and police occurred.
But a group of medical consultants had written to the media saying the police and hospital versions of the incident were wrong.
Pua also said that several DAP leaders, including Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong and he, who were on the scene on Saturday were prepared to testify before the committee “to ensure that the government takes responsibility for its callous actions.”
He also said the health minister showed a lack of seriousness by announcing the setting up of the committee without details such as its composition, date of commencement and deadline for the report to be completed.
“As the minister himself promised a ‘thorough and transparent’ investigation, the committee must conduct its hearing in public, and not behind closed doors... and its report must be completed within three weeks. Any date later than that will only prove that the government is trying to further cover up the issue,” he said.
On Saturday, demonstrators calling for electoral reforms who were heading to Stadium Merdeka were pegged back by police in various spots in the city through a series of roadblocks and police-lines. A significant portion of the protesters was forced on the stretch from Puduraya to Bangunan Magnum on Jalan Pudu where Tung Shin is located.
Repeated police action in releasing tear gas and water cannons on the protesters forced a section of the protesters into the hospital compound. A large number of personal accounts and video loaded onto the Internet showed that the police did fire into the hospital compound before sending in their personnel to apprehend the protesters.
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Now they are trying to victimise the consultants who came forward....it seems that these brave doctors would be investigated by hospital authorities....what is there to investigate when all the damning visual evidence could be seen in the internet?
Trying to find a fall guy for the embarassing situation they got themselves into? They mishandled the situation, all they need to do is come forward and admit their mistakes instead of looking for a scapegoat! The mistake started when Liow was trying to cover for Hisham, then got the Tung Shin directors to cover for him.....now see who is left standing there holding the baby?
He definitely miscalculated his move and thought by calling Board of Directors of the hospital to make a stand will solve all problems and silent the outcry. Unfortunately, they are still right minded people who cannot be so easily intimidated and prepare to tell the truth without hesitation. A big round of applaud should be given to those hospital Doctors & Specialists for standing up against injustice.
A leader will listen, admit his mistake and change for the good.
Now, Liow is being extremely irresponsible. There's no need to waste the rakyat money to investigate something that is RIGHT. Setting up the special committee is pointless.
Please do not victimise consultants who are brave heroes (consensus of all Malaysians). This will aggravate brain drain which Malaysia has been suffering because of BN/UMNO policy.
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