'Serdang Hospital brought shame to medical profession'

The lawyers for the family of the late C Sugumar, the man who eyewitnesses said was beaten to death in public on Wednesday while still in handcuffs, has described the claim by a government hospital that he died of 'heart attack' as "inherently incredible".

"The claim by Serdang Hospital that Sugumar died of a heart attack is inherently incredible. Sugumar had no health problems and was only 40 years old. It is unbelievable that a healthy man should suddenly collapse and die immediately upon arrest," said lawyers N Surendran and Latheefa Koya in a statement to Harakahdaily.

They also blasted the denial by Kajang police chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Wahap that Sugumar was beaten tod eath as "a blatant attempt" for a cover-up.

"Three eyewitnesses have come forward who have testified that Sugumar was chased down by police, handcuffed, beaten and smeared with turmeric. How can the police claim that there was no foul-play, when they have not even recorded the statements of these three witnesses?" the statement asked.

It added Sugumar's body was still in handcuffs and the turmeric powder said to be used by his attackers was still present on his face.

"There were also lacerations consistent with a struggle against the police assailants as described by the witnesses," the PKR duo added.

History of misconduct

They also pointed out that the Serdang Hospital which claimed that Sugumar's death was caused by heart attack had in the past falsified post-mortem findings to favour police, including in the A Kugan custodial death saga in which Serdang pathologist Dr Abdul Karim Tajuddin was found guilty by the Malaysian Medical Council of professional misconduct.

"Yesterday, Serdang Hospital once again breached medical ethics by refusing to let Sugumar's family see the body, on instructions from the police. The family were only allowed to see the body upon the insistence of lawyers and activists, after 4 hours of waiting," they added.

Saying the hospital in cohorts with the Health ministry "brought shame upon the medical profession", they said a complaint would be lodged with the MMC.

"Until the second post-mortem is carried out satisfactorily, the family will not claim the body."

-Harakahdaily