Wait for full report on cause of Bateq deaths, says Waytha
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P Waythamoorthy has dismissed claims of a government cover-up surrounding the cause of death of 15 Bateq villagers from Kampung Kuala Koh, Gua Musang in May.
Responding to a report by The Observer, a sister publication of British daily The Guardian, Waythamoorthy said that Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad is expected to present a full report to the cabinet on Sept 18...
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department P Waythamoorthy has dismissed claims of a government cover-up surrounding the cause of death of 15 Bateq villagers from Kampung Kuala Koh, Gua Musang, in May.
Responding to a report by The Observer, a sister publication of British daily The Guardian, Waythamoorthy said that Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad is expected to present a full report to the cabinet on Sept 18.
"I think the health minister has already issued a statement after The Guardian report that the post-mortem report will be out soon.
"Let's wait until the post-mortem report is out," said Waythamoorthy, who is in charge of Orang Asli affairs.
"I am really not aware as to the reasons," he added, referring to perceptions of a prolonged delay in preparing the report.
Last week, a private medical doctors group had accused the government of attempting to conceal the real reason behind the Bateq's deaths, which their independent study found could include active external factors.
The Observer quoted Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) president Dr Steven Chow, who had told Malaysiakini of his experience in Kampung Kuala Koh just before the deaths.
Read more: Orang Asli community dying from neglect, appalling conditions, says doc
Chow has since repeatedly expressed his belief that the deaths were not solely due to measles, a claim which has led to allegations that the government is likely to sweep the issue under the carpet.
On July 18, fresh doubts regarding the cause of the villagers' deaths emerged when laboratory tests on water samples taken from five sources around Kampung Kuala Koh revealed contamination and toxic substances.
On July 6, the Health Ministry said laboratory testing confirmed that the cause of death of three Orang Asli from Kampung Kuala Koh was complications due to measles.
However, the post-mortems carried out on the other 12 bodies found by the police were inconclusive, largely due to the bodies’ decomposition and contamination.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.