Tung Shin: Liow runs for his political life, pins the blame on the police now

With snap general elections looming nearer by the day, it looks like it is each man for himself in the BN. Even Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai, often ridiculed for blind subservience to Umno, has decided to dump the police and save his own political scalp.

"MCA leaders are starting to realize that ordinary people may be smarter than they are and they are worried about being voted out in GE-13. Obviously, this is one issue that has seriously angered the Chinese community. They have also realized that when it comes to the ballot box, not even Umno can save them," PKR vice president Tian Chua toldMalaysia Chronicle.

In a statement issued late on Tuesday, a Health Ministry probe confirmed that the police had fired tear gas and water canons to disperse ralliers who had fled into the compound of the Tung Shin Hospital during the July 9 Bersih march for free and fair elections.

The ministry said tear gas was fired in the direction of a car park outside the hospital compound and not into the hospital itself. It also said the cops involved would be referred to the police's disciplinary committee.

"The investigation results concluded that there were unethical actions which were beyond the SOP of the Royal Malaysian Police when enforcement was performed on rally participants who were wrongly using the hospital premises,” said Home Ministry chief secretary Mahmood Adam, who issued the statement.

“However, this action was taken solely to disperse groups of protesters who were gathering at the hospital area."

"Wind blowing" and "camera angle"

The statement is a complete contradiction of Liow's stance in the immediate aftermath of the Bersih rally. Then Liow had insisted it was the wind blowing the smoke that made it seem as if tear gas canisters had been shot into the hospital area.

The MCA deputy president insisted that the police had not violated standard operating procedures in attacking a hospital, which is an internationally designated sanctuary. When reporters doubted the veracity of his words, he all but stamped his foot in anger.

Liow also managed to persuade the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tung Shin to back him up.

However, it was MCA president Chua Soi Lek who took the cake. The 64-year-old medical doctor and former Health Minister insisted that the multitude of photographic and video evidence were just "camera angle".

Pakatan Rakyat leaders have called on Soi Lek and Tiong Lai to apologize to all ralliers who suffered from the police attacks, as well as to the hospital and its staff for their previous disregard of the truth.

"How are Chua and Liow going to explain to the people now? They have been caught out in a lie to protect Umno's interest. At the very least, they owe an apology all round," said Tian.

Tear gas, water canons and smoke bombs

In the Health ministry's report, it was also stated that tear gas canisters had been fired from the Waz Lian Enterprise building in the direction of a carpark outside the hospital compound.

"However, allegations that there was tear gas fired inside the hospital compound are not true because it happened at a public carpark outside the hospital compound,” said Mahmood.

The report also said that 'smoke bombs' were thrown by police personnel towards protesters who were converging at the Chinese Maternity Hospital (CMH) carpark.

“Referring to the smoke bomb incident, investigations found that this did not happen inside the Tung Shin Hospital compound, but at the CMH compound, which in terms of administration, is separate from Tung Shin. CMH had ceased operations since September 2006 because of major renovations which will take place in December 2011,” said Mahmood.

He reiterated that the decision to refer the errant cops for disciplinary proceedings showed that the Home Ministry was serious in ensuring that its staff follow procedures.

Malaysia Chronicle