WHO'S TELLING FAIRY TALES? Are you saying Dr Pornthip lied but not you - lawyers slam Najib

Lawyers for the Sugumar family expressed outrage at Prime Minister Najib Razak's "bare denial", warning that they had documents to show he had personally intervened and blocked her from carrying out a second autopsy of the security guard who had died under mysterious circumstances while in police custody.

"We stand by our statement. Dr Pornthip has already told the media that the Malaysian government blocked her by saying to the Thai government that they are not happy with her. Is Najib denying this?" N Surendran, one of the key lawyers, representing the family of C Sugumar told Malaysia Chronicle.

"We have seen the documents confirming this. Clearly, the Malaysian government is deliberately stopping Pornthip. It is a cruel and unjust act to prevent Sugumar's family from getting justice."

National news agency Bernama had reported Najib as dismissing Surendran's claim that the Malaysian leader had "communicated" with his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawat and as a result the Thai government had decided to bar Pornthip in order not to "undermine the relationship between the two countries". [Click Najib asked Thai PM Yingluck to BLOCK Dr Pornthip from conducting 2nd autopsy on Sugumar]

"It is not true...these are all fairy tales. Don't listen to it. Not at all," Najib told reporters on Friday.

Najib deliberately avoiding family's request to ask Yingluck to let Pornthip do autopsy

According to eye-witnesses, Sugumar was chased down by the police, handcuffed, beaten and smeared with turmeric. He is believed to have suffered a fit and had destroyed some public property.

One of the police officers had stepped on his neck while his colleague put on the handcuffs. Sugumar's body had still been moving at that point in time. His body later stopped moving but the police did not notice he had died until hours later.

The Malaysian police have insisted Sugumar died of a heart attack, basing their conclusion on a post-mortem report released from the Serdang Hospital. However, the family is challenging the findings of the report, saying Sugumar was healthy and did not have any heart condition known to them.

"Yesterday, we had also asked Najib to ask the Thai PM to allow Dr Pornthip to come over and conduct the autopsy. Why is he deliberately silent on this?" Latheefa Koya, another lawyer in the team representing Sugumar's family, told Malaysia Chronicle.

"Najib's denial is also inconsistent with Pornthip's own statement that the Malaysian government is unhappy with her. In diplomatic language, this is tantamount to saying Pornthip is not welcome to perform an autopsy in Malaysia. There was deliberate pressure by the Malaysian government. What is Najib's explanation on this?"

The prospects for a second autopsy now appear bleak as the family wants to perform last rites for their son.

"Our every attempt is being frustrated by the Najib administration. We fear the government will succeed in preventing a second independent autopsy on Sugumar," said Latheefa.

Political motives, bleak prospects for 2nd post-mortem

Najib is expected to call for the country's 13th general elections within weeks. Members of the police force have traditionally voted for his BN coalition, which has ruled Malaysia since 1957. Hence, the wish to not antagonize the police force.

This factor has been cited as being among the main reasons behind his refusal to let Pornthip do the autopsy. The other is the fear that she might again thwart any cover-up attempts and embarrass his administration which has come under fire for its refusal to rein in an increasingly recalcitrant police force.

In 2009, the Thai pathologist had stuck to her view that Teoh Beng Hock, a political aide with the Selangor state government, did not commit suicide as alleged by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. Her resoluteness and refusal to budge flummoxed the Malaysian authorities, forcing Najib to order a Royal Commission of Inquiry after an inquest had delivered an unsatisfactory open verdict.

The MACC had summoned Teoh as a witness into a corruption probe against his bosses, who were leaders in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. Teoh's body was found outside the MACC office and there is still widespread belief he had died as a result of torture by several MACC officers out to extract a false confession from him.

Pornthip's message to Malaysians

Meanwhile, Dr Pornthip confirmed to the Malaysian media that she needed to have the authority to perform the autopsy on Sugumar without any limitations, but did not specify if the MOJ had prohibited her from doing so.

“I told the lawyer that I’m a government officer under the) Ministry of Justice that needs permission from the permanent secretary,” Pornthip, who is the director of Thailand’s Central Institute of Forensic Science which is under the MOJ, was reported as telling the Malaysian Insider.

“Please send my message to your people that I’ve never wanted to be involved in politics. I understand that each country has their own justice system, but there should be no barrier for the people to seek justice."

Malaysia Chronicle