Pornthip Vs 4 eminent pathologists: PR’s propensity to distort

The tool of PR's 'politics of hatred': Eccentric Thai pathologist

Yesterday, eccentric Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand testifying in the Coroner’s Inquest, to determine the ‘sudden death’ of Political-Aide-to-DAP-Selangor-Exco-Ean-Yong Teoh Beng Hock. Her testimony now differed as compared to her earlier analysis (via photographs that was shown to her) that Teoh had an 80% chance of being murdered.

She now ruled out that Teoh was murdered but she also affirms the position that Teoh did not commit suicide.

Thursday August 19, 2010

Pornthip: It wasn’t suicide

By WANI MUTHIAH
wani@thestar.com.my

The Star report:

SHAH ALAM: Thai forensic pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand reiterated that pathology findings showed that political aide Teoh Beng Hock did not commit suicide.

She, however, declined to say how many per cent the 30-year-old deceased’s death was due to homicide.

Last year she testified in the inquest, saying that Teoh’s death was probably 80% homicide and 20% suicide.

When asked why she declined to quote a percentage this time, Dr Pornthip said:

“That time I had to convince the judge (coroner) to do a second post-mortem, so I had to give a percentage.”

She added that there were also many limitations when the second post-mortem was conducted in November last year but she was certain it was not suicide.

In defending her findings, Dr Pornthip said pathologists who conducted the first post-mortem had failed to open the skin at the sacrum (base of the spine) area and posterior part of the thigh to identify the nature of injuries there.

She said after opening up the skin from both the region at the second post-mortem, she was able to deduce that both injuries were due to Teoh’s fall.

Dr Pornthip also told coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas that she maintained her opinion that Teoh had sustained injuries before the fall.

Teoh, the political secretary to Selangor executive council member Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16 last year after being interrogated at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office on the 14th floor of the same building as part of investigations into an alleged irregular disbursement of state funds.

On the marks on Teoh’s neck, Dr Pornthip said the size of the haemorrhage was not due to manual strangulation and that injuries of that size required more force than what a man could exert.

She said the injury could not have happened during the fall, adding that it could have been a result of someone placing something against the neck or pushing the head down against something.

Dr Pornthip said she disagreed with MACC expert witness Prof Dr Peter Vanezis’ earlier opinion that Teoh had landed on his feet and was conscious when he fell.

She said Teoh was probably unconscious when falling as the first post-mortem report stated he suffered a cerebral edema.

Teoh’s wrists which did not have bilateral fractures also suggested that he was probably unconscious when falling.

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Her testimony in court is still diverse as compared to the 4 eminent pathologist who had their testimonies in court be recorded as “Teoh died because of the fall from heights”.

The aggregate testimony of 4 pathologist

So what is Pornthip saying “Teoh was not murdered but did not commit suicide?”.

How could Teoh had a fall from that heights if he was not murdered (i.e. bring thrown of the building) but in the same time, did not jump out to kill himself (commit suicide)?

It did not make any sense at all. However, to make proper sense, the involvement of Dr Pornthip in this case should be considered from the strategic perspective.

She is in the picture because despite the testimony of the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital and Universiti Malaya Medical Centre pathologists were not in tandem how Pakatan Rakyat wanted it to be. Within hours of Teoh’s lifeless body discovery, DAP Leaders have insinuated that he was murdered by the MACC Officers. In the uncertainties even before the Police could complete the preliminary investigations, DAP Leaders already blamed MACC for Teoh’s ‘sudden death’.

Pakatan Rakyat and particularly DAP had a strategic intention to demonise any law enforcement agencies. It is their strategic plan that when they practice their brand of ‘politics of hatred’ and ‘politics of lies and manipulation’, any actions against them even when served under provisions of law, then the ‘perception of political and selective persecution’ is being practiced.

So when Dr Khairul and Dr Prashandt’s statements could not implicate that Teoh was ‘murdered’ and instead portray that he committed suicide (which now no longer in tandem with DAP’s effort to ‘demonise’ Malay-led law enforcement agencies such as the Police and MACC), PR Selangor State Government needed to get a testimony that is reflecting to their initial intention.

Hence, they turned to eccentric Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojasunand. She came and just by viewing photos, made a co0nclusion that “Teoh had an 80% chance of being murdered”.

Pakatan Rakyat went about town with that. A series of ceramahs were held all over the country and personalities like Lim Guan Eng and Mahfudz Omar freely charge “MACC murdered Teoh Beng Hock”. The notion of “Teoh was murdered” even appeared as a campaign material during the Hulu Selangor and Miri Parliamentary by-elections, especially in Chinese majority area. That is the extend of the ‘politics of hatred’ and ‘politics of manipulation and lies’ that the DAP willing to propegate and ride on.

The pressure was mounting to a point the Coroner Azmil decided to call for a second autopsy. After the remains was exhumed, Sg Buloh Hospital Chief pathologist Dr Shahidan Md Noor examined the corpse of Teoh with eminent British pathologist Dr Peter Vanezis and Dr Pornthip observing. The result was very consistent with Dr Khairul’s and Dr Prashandt’s earlier testimony but with the exception of the Thai woman.

Like anything that comes from Pakatan Rakyat, especially PKR, Dr Porhthip’s drama begins. She claimed that her life ‘was being threatened’ and refused to return to Malaysia. Despite having the security guarantee for her life by the Police, the play even requested that she was to be allowed to testify via tele-conferencing. All failed and after a lot of pressure, Dr Pornthip had to come to Shah Alam courts to testify in person.

Naturally after all that drama, she could not possibly agree to the four pathologist that Teoh was not murdered but instead died because of the fall from the 10th floor. Probably, that would point towards that Teoh had a big possibility of committing suicide (yet to be proven in court). Thus, her testimony yesterday.

Dr Pornthip was employed by Selangor PR Government. Naturally, she has to serve her ‘paymaster’s’ strategic political agenda. PR propensity to distort for their ‘politics of hate’ is shameless. For them, the case is never about finding the truth, even for the Teoh family. The case of ‘sudden death of Teoh Beng Hock’ is all about Pakatan Rakyat riding on an opportunity to demonise the Malay led law enforcement agencies, for the strategic purpose of utilizing the ‘politics of hatred’ and ‘politics of lies and manipulation’ in their sordid attempt to assume power.

This only fortified the notion that DAP, PKR and PKR, jointly or exclusively is unable to gain the confidence of the majority to earn themselves the mandate to govern.