By Clara Chooi July 12, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — DAP MP Tony Pua today accused MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai of “lying through his teeth” when the latter denied that police had fired tear gas and water cannons into the Tung Shin Maternity Hospital on Saturday.
The Petaling Jaya Utara MP, who was among the group seeking refuge in the hospital during the chemical bombardment, demanded that the health minister apologise to the hospital authorities and Malaysians for his statement.
Calling Liow’s defence of the police “lame and pathetic” and a “disgrace” to a man of his stature, Pua (picture) pointed out that the numerous “irrefutable” videos, pictures and scores of eyewitness accounts that emerged after the incident have already disproved Liow’s claim.
“Liow has denied outright that the police fired tear gas into the compound, claiming that it was shot onto the main road, and blamed the wind for blowing the gas into the hospital compound,” Pua said in a statement.
“He further argued that the water cannon only ‘brushed’ the edges of the hospital walls, and was not shot directly into the compound.”
Pua said it was impossible that the police had only fired the chemicals onto the main road as at the time, Bersih 2.0 protestors had already dispersed to find shelter, including even in the hospital compound.
“Liow’s attempt to blame the supporters for seeking refuge in the hospital is also mischievous because they were being attacked by the police from both ends of Jalan Pudu, making the hospital compound the only possible escape from the relentless firing of tear gas and chemical-laced water,” he added.
Pua urged Liow, as the health minister, to visit the hospital and apologise on behalf of the Najib administration for the police’s actions on Saturday, saying they had showed disrespect to the sanctity of hospitals at a time of unrest.
He pointed out that DAP leaders had done the same on Sunday and had expressed thanks and gratitude to the hospital management for allowing supporters to seek refuse in its compound.
“Instead, Liow proceeded to deny and lie about what is the obvious truth in order to defend the police force, demonstrating the recalcitrance of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government and a complete lack of respect for the hospitals under his purview and Malaysians at large.
“His actions proved that MCA is only an apologist for the BN coalition, and disgraced himself and his party for not having spoken up for Malaysians,” said Pua.
Since Saturday’s chaotic events, a debate has been escalating between Bersih 2.0 supporters and the Najib administration over whether the police had fired tear gas and water cannons into the Tung Shin Hospital.
Liow, in denying the attacks, also slammed protestors yesterday after meeting with hospital authorities, saying they had “ambushed” the compound when they used its compound to escape the bombardment.