Well done, Paul Low. Is this the best you can do? 'Human rights' minister gets a shelling!

VIDEO INSERTED Newly-appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Paul Low came in for another hammering on Saturday, with the family of police custodial death victim N Dharmendran mincing no words about his staff's role in the case, further bolstering public perception of a government conspiracy to cover up alleged murder by some members of the police force.

"We did not misunderstand, they told us the wrong thing. People who want to help us can come to our house openly. There is no need for secrecy. It's all already public, no need for secrecy. What sort of help are they trying to give us? What they wanted was for us to 'secretly' change lawyers. We said we didn't want. We didn't 'salah faham'(misunderstand). Those who spoke for him (Paul Low) 'salah cakap' (said the wrong thing)," M Marry, widow of the 31-year-old Dharmendran told a press conference on Saturday.

We didn't misunderstand, you misspoke

The family had called the press conference to reveal the details of the full post-mortem report, which confirmed that Dharmendran had been beaten to death. N Surendran, the family's lawyer, distributed copies of the report which found 52 injury marks on Dharmendran's body.

Last week, Surendran had exposed Low as the minister who had tried to interfere, harassing asking Dharmendran's family to drop their current legal team and accept another that did not comprise members of the political Opposition. For example, apart from being a prominent human rights and criminal defense lawyer, Surendran is also the Padang Serai Member of Parliament and a vice president in Opposition party PKR.

Low's response to Surendran's claim was that the family had misunderstood his intentions, which he claimed were well meant. On Wednesday, Low issued a statement confirming that his office had contacted the family but the purpose was to explain that they were willing to work together with any party regardless of political affiliations.

“This was sadly misunderstood as a means to settle out of court. This was never our intention. I still confirm that we are ready to work with any party, regardless of political affiliation, to ensure effective and expedient justice to all," Low had said in a statement.

Distracting attention from the main issue

There were also reports from the government-controlled mainstream media that it was Dharmendran's family which contacted Low's office first, seeking a "settlement".

"That's a lie because Dharmendran's father B Narayanasamy is sitting next to me and he can confirm that Ravendran (an officer from Paul Low's office) called him on his hand phone and they don't deny having spoken to him (Ravendran). And the wife also received calls from the same number. So I don't know where they come up with this story that they (Dharmendran's family) were the ones who contacted him. Why would they? This story about someone from the family wanting to meet them, wanting a settlement - I am disgusted by Paul Low and his officers. Here is a family in grief and sorrow and the best thing they can do is to go around casting aspersions and insinuations on the family. Well done, lah. I want to say this, well done to Paul Low. Is this they best they can do? They should be thinking about how best justice is given and the people (the culprits) are arrested and charged," said Surendran.

"This whole business with Paul Low is to distract attention from the main issue. And the main issue is we got a postmortem report confirming murder. Verbally it was confirmed it was murder on May 22. The Home Minister, The Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General  should have arrested and charged (the culprits) by now. Let them answer that issue instead of talking this sort of stuff. That, they cannot answer."

Beaten to death but the police, Home Minister insinuate heart attack

The 31-year-old Dharmendran, an employee of sewage treatment utility Indah Water, had been remanded since May 11 for suspected involvement in a fight. He was found dead in police custody on May 21.

Police bigwigs including KL CID chief Ku Chin Wah had suggested he died due to a heart attack or from some form of chest complications. However, the autopsy report performed by Dr Siew Sheue Feng, the forensics expert from Hospital Kuala Lumpur, was conclusive in stating that it was otherwise.

"There was no significant natural disease found in his body that could have caused or contributed to his death at that particular moment in time. Post-mortem examination revealed he sustained multiple blunt force trauma in his body. These injuries were caused by blunt objects and the wounds were relatively fresh. No defensive wound was identified in the body of the deceased. The overall pattern of these injuries is neither self-inflicted nor accidental in nature," the summary and conclusion of Dr Siew's report stated.

Malaysia Chronicle