Docs of War at IJN?

The never-ending battle for the hearts institution. Blogger Sakmongkol has an interesting take in hislatest posting IJN: The Real Way Forward. Is it a doctors vs non-doctors internal warfare where the the prize is great wealth and not the interest of patients?

But notice that Sakmongkol's position is quite opposed that of blogger Big Dog in his posting The IJN Disembowelment Part II.

I shall talk to some people from both sides before I comment.

Flip-flop dah?

6/11 Govt scraps proposal for mandatory checks for vehicles older than 15yrs following complaints from the public: MITI/STAR

Peka or Pekak? I have a 17-year old car which is practically falling apart: one day it's the gear transmission, the next it's a faulty brake. It's an old car, what do you expect? If it was a human, my car would probably be in its 70s and not a very healthy one. So despite the unhappy prospect of having to send the car to Puspakom for yearly check-ups, I realized that it was something practical and potentially life-saving. Singapore has had that policy for years, tak de hal pun.

But, then, suddenly, the idea is scrapped! [Govt scraps end-of-life policy, The Star, Nov 7]

During Pak Lah's era, it was called flip-flop. Usually, this happened because no homework had been done, the policy-makers syok sendiri and didn't bother talking to people, or/and couldn't care less (or thought they wouldn't have to give a damn) about public reaction.

If public complaints are supreme, won't the government grant the wish of the rakyat for cheaper cars h e r e? OK?

MACC visits Kelantan Chief Minister Inc

Updated 4pm 6/11/09 - Just learned from Zakhir that Nik Aziz has been warded at IJN. He was admitted yesterday.

Original article
Officials from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission entered the Kelantan Chief Minister Incorporated (PBMK) building in Kota Bharu yesterday afternoon and were seen taking away several files from the office after about 3 hours inside.

PMBK has been making blog headlines after its chairman Tok Guru Nik Aziz, who is also the Kelantan Menteri Besar, appointed his own son-in-law Ariffahmi Abd Rahman (pic) as the chief executive officer.

Board's resignation en bloc a boost for "unity plan"

The mongers were working overtime on a rumor that the MCA Disciplinary Board had quit en bloc.
My own sources said the quit talk is absolutely true. And while most people would conclude that the resignation is a sign that things have gone from bad to worse, the Board has the most honorable thing in the interest of the party.

Because by resigning:
1. the board assumes responsibility for making a recommendation (to sack Chua Soi Lek) that was rejected first by the Central Committee and later by the EGM, and,
2. by assuming that responsibility, the board has paved the way for both Ong Tee Keat and his No 2 to realize their "unity plan".

But one can always interpret it differently ...

MCA Disciplinary Board Members Resign En Bloc

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- The five member MCA Disciplinary Board headed by party veteran Ng Cheng Kiat have resigned en bloc, according one of the board members, Dr Lai Kuan Fook. He, Ng, and the other members, Datuk Jimmy Low Boon Hong, Datuk Ng Soon Por and Lau Chih Siang submitted their resignation letters to party secretary-general Datuk Wong Foon Meng's office on Thursday afternoon, according to party sources. Wong however, when contacted said he has not seen the resignation letters yet as he was not at the party headquarters Thursday. "I have not been to the party headquarters today because I was at my office in the Parliament house the whole day. They may have sent the letters to the sec-gen's office, I'm not sure," he told Bernama when contacted. It is learnt that the decision was reached during a board meeting last month but the resignation letters were only submitted today. It is believed the board members had decided to resign en bloc after their recommendation to sack party deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek was eventually overturned by party delegates during the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on Oct 10. In August, the disciplinary board had unanimously recommend that Dr Chua be sacked from the party following his sex video scandal. The board's recommendation was initially endorsed collectively by the presidential council, but was later overturned by the powerful central committee (CC) which decided to impose a four-year suspension for Dr Chua instead. During the EGM on Oct 10, the party delegates had again overturned the decision by reinstating Dr Chua's membership with immediate effect while rejecting the motion to reinstate him as party deputy president. However, on Tuesday, Dr Chua received a letter from the Registrar of Society (ROS) which confirmed that he was still the party deputy president. -- BERNAMA

Revisiting press laws

Home Ministry to meet with industry on press control laws

By DHARMENDER SINGH

PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry is planning a brainstorming session over several days with print media practioners to re-look the provisions under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 so that it can be made to “adapt to current trends.”

The ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam said he felt that that it was time to look again at the provisions in the Act after more than 20 years because the print media and its role had gone through a huge change in that time.

“We want to hear from the media practioners themselves on what they think of the existing controls under the Act and what other methods of control can be used to ensure that the newspapers exercise responsible reporting,” he told representatives from various print media organisations a special discussion here on Thursday.

Read the rest of the article H E R E.

Firstly, for the record, The Malay Mail was not represented at the special discussion mentioned in the report. The National Press Club, of which I am the President, was also not invited. I hope all the relevant players will be consulted when the Ministry holds that brainstorming.

That aside, I welcome the sec-gen's statement to revisit the Printing and Presses Act 1984. At a meeting with the Home Minister recently, the Star EIC Wong Chun Wai openly demanded that Hishammuddin Hussein cancels the need for newspapers to renew their licences annually, a requirement under the Act. Suprisingly, the Minister said he had no objection to the idea. In principle, that is.

Zorro's PDRM logo

With updates ..

Original article:
Is this zorro-unmasked? Bernard Khoo was questioned for 1hr 45mins yesterday over a defaced PDRM logo pasted on the blog zorro-unmasked. He was cooperative, so I hope it's his first and last visit to Bukit Aman. Read the Malay Mail article here.

Links and Updates:
Not everyone loves zorro: Police must .. terrorist ... danger ... put away ...
This one here does.

Dr Pornthip gets 2nd post-mortem

NST 04/11: Coroner's court allows Teoh Beng Hock's body to be exhumed for second post mortem. Thai forensic expert Dr Pornthip will observe

Learn from Hangthong. Let's hope there won't be a 3rd post-mortem, as in the Hangthong Thammawattana case which involved Dr Pornthip herself.

I still think there should be at least one other foreign expert to observe the 2nd post-mortem. Gobind Singh has said "NO" to the idea but I agree with Malaysian Medical Association president Dr David Quekreally: WHY NOT?

In the interest of justice and of all parties, Dr Pornthip should not be left to observe the 2nd post-mortem all by herself.

What took you so long, Bernard?

3pm date with Bukit Aman. Bernard aka Zorro Unmasked will be at the cyber crime unit of Bukit Aman to answer some questions with regards to his blog. I have not been in touch with Bernard for moons and he is not telling h e r e, so I can only speculate why the cops want to talk to him.

1. the inverted "Jalur Gemilang" or
2. the defaced PDRM logo

The flag is still there on his blog but the PDRM logo has been taken down. Don't ask me why.

But for one who lives by the sword, from RPK to Jed Yoong, this is kacang, something one has to experience. Don't expect tea, though, and expect to spend at least 4 hours there. A lot of boring questions but the cops are not our enemies and they just have to ask them. Procedures.

p.s. Bukit Aman dam bloggers ni macam kembar. I was a the Bukit Aman cyber unit two Fridays ago, hopefully for the last time, in relations to police reports lodged against my blogpost on Sultan Perak. I have spent a total of 14 hours in the Q & A room. And last week Sheih Kickdefella had a visit from Bukit Aman in Kota Bharu with regards to the inverted Jalur Gemilang. Also for the last time, he hopes.

A case for second foreign forensic expert .... Part 3

What Sin Chew didn't report. Who said citizen journalism is on a decline? Read the following excerpts from Dr Pornthip: More Questions by Alizul:

The Hangthong Thammawattana Case
Picture shows DR SUPOJ JAMSUWAN displaying documents relating to the third autopsy carried out on Hangthong Thammawattana, which concluded that he committed suicide. Click here for link.

In September 1999, Hangthong Thammawattana was found shot in his younger brother’s (Noppadol Thammawattana) bedroom clutching a gun in his hand. Hangthong Thammawattana was the administrator of his family’s vast fortunes.

The first autopsy conducted by the Thai police found that Hangthong committed suicide. The case was closed as a suicide.

Dr Pornthip did not agree to the police findings. Her team, which included Scottish pathologist Dr Adrian Linacre, then conducted a second autopsy and concluded that Hangthong was murdered. Dr Pornthip went public in announcing her findings. Noppadol was subsequently arrested in 2003 for allegedly conspiring to murder his elder brother Hangthong.

In his defence, Noppadol sought and obtained court permission for the third autopsy that took place on January 2006. The third autopsy was headed by Sawet Kanluan, a forensic pathologist based in Chicago, and was jointly carried out by a team of forensic physicians from five universities a month later. The findings of the third autopsy was consistent with the first, i.e. suicide. The team also included American criminalist Henry C. Lee, who likewise concluded that Hangthong's death was a suicide.

Interestingly, the experts who conducted the third autopsy are people who had taught Dr Pornthip (i.e. they were her teachers!). In his testimony in court, Dr Supoj Jamsuwan, deputy head of Chulalongkorn University’s Department of Forensic Medicine, said

"...respected experts from Chulalongkorn, Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Mahidol universities had jointly conducted the third autopsy. 'Some of them are those who have taught Khunying Pornthip, Supoj said. Without mentioning anyone by name, he said someone viewed Thailand’s forensic science as lacking standards and had tried to set the standards herself.

Dr Supoj was, needless to say, referring to Dr Pornthip when he alluded to "someone...had tried to set the standards herself."

Consequently, Noppadol was acquitted of Hangthong's murder by the Thai Criminal Court. The court ruled that substantial evidences showed that Hangthong committed suicide.

Read all H E R E.
Quincy ME and Bones are mentioned here by Barking Magpie.

CSL returns and Liow's dilemma

The Registrar of Societies has ruled that Dr Chua Soi Lek is the Deputy President of MCA.

Which means Liow Tiong Lai, who was made deputy president at the party's Central Committee meeting late last month, will have to move back to his VP post. Unless he wishes to openly defy the "unity plan" that Dr Chua and party President Ong Tee Keat had agreed upon in front of their boss Najib Razak, maintains that he is the rightful No 2, and hence prolong the crisis.

If it's up to Liow, I think he will accept the unity plan and step back. He is young and patient. But his advisors and handlers may not let him to that. Too much at stake for them.

Blogger Jai says here he sees 3 possible outcomes: 1. the en bloc resignation of the CC to pave way for a new poll 2. an EGM to allow delegates to decide on fresh poll 3. stick with the Unity Plan that Ong's tabling.

Read the Star's article h e r e.

We are not maid murderers

But we keep making the wrong headlines in the world press.
The murder of 36-year old Mautik Hani, from Surabaya, has placed us once again in the bad light. All of us. Only some of us abuse our maids, torture them, and kill them. But as a nation, all of us don't deserve to have maids in our homes.

Read the AFP story headlined Malaysian man faces death penalty for Indonesian maid murder here.

BigMacc swoop on rotten politicians in Selangor

An Umno MP and his aide, an ex-MCA Adun, a DAP politician, and PKR Selangor MB 's former political aide. The MP is from around the Sabak Bernam area in Selangor, the ex-Adun is Yap something, the DAP guy was the one who claimed to have been roughed up by MACC officials, and the Menteri Besar, of course, is Khalid Ibrahim. The probe into Khalid's aide started as long ago as June 2008 [read here] so we can appreciate how long each case takes before the MACC could charge anyone in court.

When was the last time we had people from so many political parties being charged on the same day for more or less the same crime?

After Selangor, Penang next? Read the Star's article on Five politicians, including Barisan MP, to be charged with graft (why the emphasis on "Barisan MP"?).

A case for second foreign forensic expert ... Part 2

Yes Go. The headline sounds like a hope-killer but it is actually not. If you read the story h e r e you'll agree with Gobind that there are ways around this. And the Malay Mail is running another story tomorrow (Tuesday 3 Nov) quoting the Health Ministry's DG, who seems to be on the same page as Gobind on the fact that Dr Pornthip can supervise the post-mortem (which will have to be carried out by a "qualified" medical offier).

Gobind said he has made known his proposal that the two local pathologists who did the first post-mortem be present during the second post-mortem. I don't think he will oppose the proposal to have another foreign expert to jointly supervise the second post-mortem.

The Inquest into TBH's death will hear the application to exhume Teoh Beng Hock's body this Wednesday.

Read Unspinners' take on the proposed 2nd foreign forensic expert, here.

A case for a second foreign forensic expert to perform the 2nd post-mortem on TBH together with Dr Porntip

So that nobody will ask for a 3rd post-mortem. As I see it, the Coroner doesn't really have a choice but to allow for TBH's body to be exhumed and a 2nd post-mortem performed. The doubts caused by Dr Pornthip Rojanasunan's fantastic 80:20 theory can only be dealt with by allowing for that 2nd post-mortem. No two ways about it.

The question is, after the 2nd post-mortem how do you stop anyone else from making further fantastic claims and demanding a 3rd and a 4th and so on and so forth?

Commenter Eddy, responding to my posting Should Dr Pornthip be allowed to conduct 2nd post-mortem on TBH?, said yes but on condition that ...

"... the Government must appoint another pathologist to do the second autopsy together with Dr Porntip so that both will have their own independent report to submit to the Coroner in the inquest".

"Dr Porntip cannot do it alone as she is being paid good money by the Selangor Government and there are every chance that she would be biased to satisfy her paymaster, especially so after she stuck her neck out and say that it could be 80% homicide and 20 % suicide based on selected documents and photographs given to her and without even visiting the scene of the death."

There are many like Eddy who are suspicious of Dr Pornthip and you can't blame them. Eddy's suggestion, therefore, makes sense.

But since the first post-mortem was done by two of our own pathologists, I'd take a step further to suggest that the Government appoints a foreign pathologist /forensic expert to do the second autopsy with Dr Pornthip. This other foreign expert must have the credentials as good as, if not better than, Dr Pornthip's.

I am sure the Thai expert will have no objections.

And I am sure that the Selangor government, the counsels for the family of TBH, and truth-seekers in general will find that, in more ways than one, 2 are better than 1 here.

But first, this Wed 4 Nov, let's pray that Mr Coroner grants the family's application.

For a quick recap of the TBH's story so far, read The Teoh Beng Hock Saga 1

Sin Chew has an exclusive with Dr Pornthip, who talks about some of her cases and confirms that she and Gobind Deo Singh, the counsel for TBH's family, are in touch: Wanted: Pornthip's head!

Trouble bru-ing at SME Bank?

3/11/09 Read also, SME Bang!

with updates ...

The SME Bank is in dire need of a total shake-up, people in the banking sector have been telling me. It suffers from high NPL, major losses due to bad investment decisions, and high turnover. This has affected bottom line and hampered the bank's goal of helping SMEs, especially the Bumi ones. Profits stated in SME Bank's accounts are cosmetic and not derived from the bank's core business.

When the contract of the bank's Managing Director ended last month, these concerned people in the banking sector sighed in relief and allowed themselves to hope that changes were imminent.

But now they hear that the government may renew the contract of the well-connected ex-MD, who still comes to the office and behaves as if he's still the Boss even though his contract has been terminated. This ex-MD, I hear, has recommended himself highly for an extension and is using his powerful cables that go right up to a former MoF ll to ensure the job doesn't go to anyone else.

Certainly something to watch closely in the coming weeks.

Notes on merger-demerger: The SME Bank is a product of an acquisition exercise of Bank Industri by Bank Pembangunan. The idea, which was mooted by the MoF 2 during the Badawi administration, was for the SME Bank to continue the role of Bank Pembagunan. But it was an idea not well thought of and after just 3 years, the government was forced to demerge SME Bank from Bank Pembagunan. This merge-then-demerge exercise was very costly, needless to say, not least for the Bumiputera business community these institutions were supposed to be assisting. In the event of a shake-up, according to the people in the banking sector I spoke to, the government should consider going back to basics i.e. return the original roles of these institutions as envisioned by the Razak administration.

Read immediate commentary at www.semasa.net
h e r e.

Getting away with murder of Malaysia

Move aside MT, here comes the Asia Sentinel! Its latest commentary Getting away with murder in Malaysia is bound to win Asia Sentinel accolades for journalistic gall. For Malaysia, which is said to have a controlled traditional media but (probably) the freest new media in the world, the free-for-all allegations and claims made by Asia Sentinel is just another one of those ...

Or is it?

SPNB will pay half a B it owes contractors

Happy ending? One thinks not. While this may be good news for the 34 contractors [most of whom will believe it when they see the money], questions must still be asked as to why things had to come to this stage in the first place. If there are defaults at SPNB, it'd be wise for Najib's administration to ID them quickly and carry out the necessary repairs or changes. The national housing board has big responsibilities.

Read the Malay Mail story h e r e later in the day, or get a copy of your afternoon daily when it hits the streets around noon. The Bru's breaking story Trouble bru-ing at SPNB? here.

Trouble bru-ing in Selangor?

with updates

29/10 Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim recommends that Port Klang assemblyman Badrul Hisham of PKR resign from his seat because of non-performance/STAR

Sounds familiar? Badrul Hisham, I was told, has been wanting to quit PKR and Khalid's outburst is probably just the break he needs. Non-performance? That's subjective. In PKR, I was also told, Badrul is not the only non-performer.

updated 7.45pmNST has the story here.
Bad is not the first Adun or MP to jump out from PKR. In Perak, they blamed the BN government when Opposition YBs jumped out to become Independents. Who do you blame in Bad's case?

Criminalising War: The Role of CSOs

Civil Society Organisations. I am forced to stay away from this year's International Conference to Criminalise War due to F&F (flu & fever) but I am able to follow the proceedings via blogs and the excellent coverage at mathaba.net.

The role of civil society to help end wars and conflicts is being discussed in depth. Surely, this will lead to a clarification of what civil society in Malaysia can do, rather than just a bonding exercise for like-minded people, and the growth of CSOs.

Read Civil Society as the united voice of the people against war.