VoxPop: 'Haul up first pathologist'
‘He or she must be called in to explain why his or her examination did not uncover what was obviously a case of a man held in custody and beaten to death.'
On Post-mortem: Kugan 'starved and beaten' to death
Richard Teo: Now that the second post-mortem conducted by a pathologist from the Universiti Malaya Medical centre has shown that the victim died after being repeatedly beaten, surely the family and the public deserve to know why the first post-mortem revealed that he had died due to fluid in his lungs.
The pathologist who conducted the first post-mortem must be called in to explain why his examination did not uncover what was obviously a case of a man held in custody and beaten to death.
Certainly we would also like to know how he arrived at the conclusion that the man had died as a result of fluid in the lungs and not mentioning in his report that the man was repeatedly beaten to death.
Was this pathologist acting in concert with the police to conceal evidence of a felony being committed? If so then the pathologist can be charged with being an accessory to the commission of a murder.
Further investigation should be conducted to see if there were any previous incidents of such cases where the same pathologist had given a misleading account of a post-mortem report.
Xroy: To say this incident - the murder of Kugan - is shocking is an understatement. The question that goes a begging is: do we have a criminal police force? I am not saying we have one but God forbid, if we do, what is to be done about it?
This second post-mortem report only draws one conclusion and that is Kugan was murdered whilst in police custody. So what happens to the pathologist who certified that Kugan died of water in the lungs?
Was he totally incompetent and if he is, he should immediately be struck off the medical register and have his practicing certificate withdrawn. He should also be charged with being an accomplice in this who shocking episode.
Yuvan: My heart bleeds for Kugan. I am not bothered and I do not care to know if he was a criminal or not. He was picked up as a suspect and suffered unimaginable torture while under detention and lost his life under excruciating circumstances.
If this is not murder, then what can we call this? There cannot be any other definition for this heinous act. It is not only the police who should hang their heads in shame. The entire cabinet should feel ashamed for having a police force that can be so brutal.
It is also shocking to note that there were more than 80 cases of reported deaths in police custody from 2000 to 2008. I do not know how many of these cases involved Indian suspects.
Whatever the number, I would like to know what the MIC leaders were doing about this. Did the MIC leaders ever bother to voice their serious concern about deaths involving Indian suspects in police custody?
Did the MIC have any proper mechanism to monitor these cases? Did they have the guts and determination to consistently follow-up and find out if there was any foul play?
Did they offer any meaningful legal and/or financial aid to the families affected and brought the culprits to face justice?
The MIC keeps boasting that it is the only political party to protect and safeguard the rights of the Indian community in Malaysia. Can the MIC leaders stand up now and tell the police to stop torturing Indian suspects in custody?
Can they be courageous enough and tell the government that MIC will not tolerate any more cases of deaths in police custody?
P Sritharan: Initially, Syed Hamid Albar was skeptical and cynical about Kugan's case. He was desperately trying to fix the two deputy ministers - Devamany and Murugiah for just being at the mortuary on that particular day.
Now that the second, independent post-mortem has revealed that Kugan had endured severe beatings and was starved, Syed Hamid's ministry is answerable to Kugan's family and to all concerned citizens.
It is now your duty to get the culprit(s) and bring them to justice. At the same time, you need to apologise to Kugan's family for not being concerned and sympathetic. Please remember that Kugan's tragedy can happen to any one.
Any number of guilty persons can escape but there should not be one single innocent person punished. The other thing is that one is innocent until he is proven guilty.
The above are the basic and primary principles to be followed by all law enforcement officers
Baiyuensheng: I am shock and disgusted by the fact that autopsy reports, one from Serdang Hospital and the other from UMMC, can reflect such a huge difference in their findings.
One cannot help but conclude that those who performed the autopsy at Serdang were biased or were forced to particpate in a cover-up.
The pathologist at the Serdang hospital should be reported for negligence and put on trial if the UMMC report is correct.
Police brutality should have no place in Malaysia in this day and age. My condolences to the family of Kugan. It is a sad day.
On 'What are police trying to prove?'
Concerned Malaysian: Normally, thugs will be hired to protect the wrongdoings of the criminals. In this case, Umno is using the police to protect their interests and wrongdoings.
The people are not stupid, we can see what is happening. How the courts are biased, how the police are choosing sides and how the politicians are corrupt.
When Umno conducted demonstrations against Karpal, the police were giving them protection. No arrests, no ISA, no disturbing the peace charges.
But when Indian Malaysians went to apolice station just to lodge reports, they were fired upon with water cannons.
Where are our values, where is our culture, where is our humanity? We are so busy having dinners and collecting money for Gaza for humanitarian reasons but in our own country a man is beaten to death in a police lock-up.
We are so busy talking about the ill-treatment of others elsewhere but our own ISA detainees are left to suffer with improper food and lack of decent medical treatment.
Once, I could only see such biased, corrupted law enforcement in the movies but thanks to Umno, I can now see it live. I can only pray our children will have a better future.
On Hindraf 5 to remain in detention
Austozi: Malaysians and especially our elected representatives, must now renew our call for the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA). Barely months ago, the foreign minister lashed out at the US for telling us what to do.
Now that President Obama has ordered the shutdown of the Guatanamo Bay detention centre, I believe the ISA is now a full-blown crime and must be repealed immediately.
Just don't expect the BN-led government to hold a press conference to sign a similar order in front of a bunch of reporters, for they are too cowardly for such a bold move.
On 'I can prove Najib tried to bribe me'
Peter Ooi: I wish to believe that this is yet another wild allegation against Najib. But there were too many that have gone unchallenged by Najib himself.
As a prime minister-in-waiting, it is needless to elaborate for him on the importance of being seen to be clean from all these wild allegations.
Fauzi had already made this allegation that Najib attempted to bribe him and explained in detail how he was brought to see Najib by one Zainol Abidin. Zainol had admitted bringing Fauzi to see him.
Najib did not explain his purpose in seeing Fauzi. Now Fauzi had thrown down the gauntlet and Najib has to take it up.
On Batang Ai by-election on April 7
Sam:
Well, I really should have placed my money where my mouth was because as I predicted right here last week that the Election Commission - which is really no more than an electoral puppet of BN and Umno - would decide to hold the by-election in Batang Ai on exactly the same day as the by-elections in Semenanjung Malaysia.Presumably this rather obvious tactic is an attempt to dilute the opposition's limited resources as compared to BN's bottomless pit of money which is actually no more than taxpayers funds.
At least BN and Umno have lived up to everyone's expectations and are still the small-minded, corrupt, childish and dictatorial coalition that we have come to know only too well.
And with respect to the Batang Ai by-election, the behind-the-scenes attempts by Taib Mahmud and his henchmen to divide the Dayak vote is already coming to the surface with Snap talking about fielding their own candidate and not putting their full weight and support behind one candidate that represents the opposition.
I can only hope that Anwar Ibrahim has sufficient clout and influence to knock all these heads together and ensure that only one opposition candidate is fielded against whoever Taib Mahmud puts up.
For many decades the Dayaks have been robbed and disenfranchised by the BN's tried and tested method of constantly splitting them up and buying off any really hopeful movement towards forming an effective voice.
Unless they put this weakness behind them and take up common cause with Anwar Ibrahim's coalition they will have nobody but themselves to blame if their land continues to be pillaged and destroyed by the rapacious companies that get Provisional Leases from Taib Mahmud.
On M'sia on brink of recession, says MIER
Micheal: More and more rating agencies have come forward with their forecast of recession in this country.
However, one of our many finance ministers (wonder why they need so many as they cannot even manage the economy properly) has said that we are still doing alright in view of our positive GDP in comparison to that of our neighboring countries (how about comparing with China with a GDP of more than 5% ?)
What technical recession with a positive GDP, so he said. Is he really happy with the miserable 0.1% growth? We really have to ask ourselves if our GDP is indeed 0.1% and not in the negative.
judging from the massive slump in exports in 4 th quarter.
Everyone in the corporate world knows that there are many different methods of account reporting, and the timing of the closure of a particular transaction can ultimately affect the outcome of the entire account.
So which accounting system are we using in determining our GDP? Is it similar to that of say, Hongkong's or Singapore's?
Or are we employ the one similar to that of Transmile or Fountainview? Therefore please don't shout about the 0.1% GDP as it is really bad.
On ‘We appreciate Japanese loan but...'
Disappointed: The government formed MACC to eradicate corruption and restore public confidence in government. MACC's mantra is ‘zero tolerance for corruption' and I thought it is another ICAC (Hong Kong's well-respected similar commission).
I was happy with the development and thought our country was on course towards achieving a developed status.
However, my happiness was short-lived when I read the government was about to award the water transfer project to a Japanese contractor who is facing corruption charges in its own country.
On one hand, the government formed the MACC to eradicate corruption; on the other hand, the government is still awarding jobs to corrupted contractors.
What kind of a signal is the government sending to the public and the international community. Does the government really care about the public which put them in power?
CA: MCA claims to be second largest partner in the BN and rightly it is. But does it wield power in keeping with its status as the second largest party? Any ordinary man on the street will tell you no.
BN is 100% controlled by Umno,which doesn't care a damn for the opinions and feelings of MCA or for that matter any other component party. Just see how the Indians are being treated.
Unless MCA can persuade Umno to give it due respect and honour, there is no way the Chinese are going back to it. This has been clearly revealed in the last general election and the two subsequent by-elections that followed.
The survival of MCA, MIC and others depend on how Umno treats them, either as equal partners or subordinates.
From what we are witnessing now, Umno is changing to please its own members not its coalition partners and it looks for sure MCA is doomed.
MCA must put aside its internal squabbles, especially between the top two, and seriously consider whether to stay on in BN.
On Foreign workers in Sabah a serious medical risk
RTC Wenn: For years, Malaysian employers have not been rewarding their employees properly but have instead demanded at least two to three times more effort from them.
If a staff were to raise a salary or remuneration issue, this person will be the first to ‘leave' the company even though maybe he or she may be the most productive or hardworking staff.
Is this how we as Malaysians are supposed to treat our employees? Where are your hearts, bosses? When Malaysians refuse to do the tonnes of extra work without additional pay, companies hire foreign labour to take over.
And now, after working with poor remuneration and conditions, the government wants to terminate the contracts of these faithful foreign labourers without any compensation.
Malaysian bosses, have you ever thought that if you were the one being treated this way, how would you feel? If your loved ones were being treated this way, how would you feel?
Employers and bosses, if you have a heart, would you like to see this sort of ‘slavery' in Malaysia and especially during the current economic crisis? Put your hand on your heart and think.
On Another U-turn: Ban on 'Allah' in Christian publications remains
Mohamed Zain:
I don't have any qualms if the Malaysian Christians want to use the word ‘Allah' or any other term to refer to their God.But I just don't understand why they insist on wanting to use that Arabic word instead of any other word with the same meaning that is more relevant to Malaysia such as Tuhan .
Now, it is not strange for the Coptic Christians, which are mostly if not all Arabs, to use ‘Allah' as it is an Arabic word which means ‘God'.
However, it is indeed very strange that Malaysian Christians want to use an Arabic word to refer to their God! How many Malaysian Christians are Arabs?
To Muslims, the term ‘Allah' has 99 other names. So do the Malaysian Christians want to use these 99 names to refer to their God as well?
Their insistence on using an Arabic word to refer to God instead of a Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan or Sakai word is very bewildering to me.
On Oral, anal sex: Controversial acts, but should they be illegal?
Koh Jun Lin:
Examples of so called ‘unnatural sex' can be observed in nature, even necrophilia (not that I condone it). Sexual activities for purposes other than procreation are widely observed in the animal kingdom and not just in primates.Hence, strengthening the argument that it is natural. Also, making such acts illegal on basis of religion is another flawed argument. Otherwise, we ought to ban meat consumption as well, amongst other things.
Whose religion do we follow anyway? Islam? But isn't that what the Syariah Courts are for? I believe Section 377 has no place in our Penal Code, which ought to be secular.
During a forum on privacy hosted by the Bar Council last week, it was pointed out that any legislation on protecting privacy (if introduced) would also need exceptions so that illegal activities in one's home (like domestic violence and VK. Lingam's infamous phone conversation) can still be prosecuted.
It was then raised that this will be problematic since by virtue of Section 377, even one's sexual behaviour would need to be scrutinised.
Hence I strongly oppose the criminalisation of any particular sexual behaviour as long as the parties involved are consenting adults. I believe that the laws (except religious laws) should act solely as a mechanism to seek redress against injustice, not as a moral police.
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