DAP MP for PJ Utara and National Publicity Secretary Tony Pua was rightly outraged and accused the MCA Deputy President and Health Minister 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 during the 709 Bersih 2.0 rally on Saturday.
Pua has also rightly demanded the Health Minister apologise to the hospital authorities and Malaysians for his statement as Pua is not only an eye-witness but a victim of the wanton, reckless and unforgivable police attacks on the Tong Shin Maternity Hospital,
Liow’s action was cowardly and indefensible, going against the weight of eye-witness accounts and increasing pile of videos and pictorial evidence.
It is at these trying moments when truth cries out for defence against power and authority that the ordinary rakyat expects their political leaders to stand by them – but the MCA leader and Minister has chosen to go against the people, the facts and the weight of evidence.
The question I want to ask Liow is whether he had been blackmailed into telling untruths denying that there were police tear gas and water cannon shooting into Tung Shin Materniy Hospital on Saturday, although he knew they were untruths.
I formed the conclusion that Liow himself did not believe his denial that police had fired tear gas and water cannon at Tung Shin Hospital on Saturday because the MCA-owned Star newspaper completely blacked out every word about what he said in his visit to Tung Shih Hospital yesterday, but the UMNO-owned New Straits Times gave it prominent coverage with a page lead in P7, viz:
‘Police did not target Tung Shin Hospital’
KUALA LUMPUR: The police did not fire tear gas and water cannon at Tung Shin Hospital in Jalan Pudu here during Saturday’s rally to disperse the crowd, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
He said this was confirmed by the Tung Shin Hospital board of directors, who attended a one-hour meeting with the ministry at the hospital yesterday.
“We can confirm that the police did not fire tear gas and water cannon at the hospital. They were instead aiming at the crowd on the main road to disperse them.”
When asked about videos and photos showing otherwise, Liow clarified that the hospital was not directly hit by tear gas canisters and water cannon.
“They were not aimed at the hospital but at the main road. The fumes and water might have spread to the hospital but I can assure you that they were not directed at the hospital compound.”
Liow said a hospital should not have been caught in such a situation, and that the protesters should not have gone into the hospital to seek refuge.
“It was not a good idea (for them to go inside the hospital). Hospitals should be kept away from such problems and they (the protesters) should not have gone there in the first place.”
He said police had to take action against the protesters as it was an illegal gathering that was creating problems for the public.
“The police had handled this situation in a professional manner to preserve peace without injuring any party.”
Liow took a swipe at DAP for taking advantage of the situation by painting the police force in a bad light.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and other party leaders visited Tung Shin Hospital on Sunday and highlighted the alleged police action.
“Why do they want to implicate the police?
“It is very irresponsible of them to say that the police had fired tear gas at the hospital. This is uncalled for. If it’s not the truth, then it is not the truth.”
MCA-owned Star only carried a three-para filler placed inconspicuously in page 10 under the heading: “Tung Shin Hospital not affected” which did not quote Liow at all.
The question Liow should answer is whether he was “blackmailed” into telling untruths about police tear gas and water cannon shooting into Tung Shin Maternity Hospital during 709 Bersih 2.0 rally when he knew they were untruths and if so, his justification for such political chicanery.
#1 by Bigjoe on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 4:10 pm
Blackmailed? With what? What does UMNO/Najib has on him? I hope its not just his job because he is about to lose it and deservingly because hat he delivered under blackmail is not even worth a meal at a mamak shop..
#2 by Thinking Two on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 4:16 pm
1Malaysia (Slogan): Shoot People First. Performance Now: Out of the country.
#3 by rahmanwang on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 4:34 pm
MCA are all cowards.
Why? because they are corrupted. They are a bunch of UMNO testicular carriers.
MCA hands are so filthy that they do not qualify to brush my shoes.
#4 by best4rakyat on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 4:53 pm
He prove nothing except showing his ‘ball’ rolling only after the rally!
Who or how many from them had join us in the BERSIH Rally?
Rakyat has seen their styles just like what their leader said:’We want to be like DAP or Pakatan challenge to tell people and get down to be with people even in twitter or so”!
But then not even one ball rolling on the rally day….blackmailed or kowtow?
Challenge what?Rakyat are eye witness to the rally on JUL09!
#5 by monsterball on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 5:07 pm
He was not blackmailed to talk like that.
He has to carry on the traditions of MCA …being lap dogs and puppets to UMNO B.
That is their only hope to stand for election for personal benefits.
MCA does not care being a disgrace to the Malaysian Chinese community….since UMNO B was formed where Mahathir encouraged corruptions.
#6 by -e- on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 5:53 pm
jalan pudu was a trap.
why did police direct lrt to skip hang tuah station but allow unrestricted movement at the plaza rakyat station? isn’t plaza rakyat a convenience stop to stadium merdeka?
when the crowd moved into jalan pudu, it is with intention that the fru would push ahead and trap the crowd.
when the trap is intentional, i would not believe that the police did not know that there are 2 hospitals along the road.
i would then hypothesized that the police intended to force the crowd into the hospitals with the motive that the crowd would do damage to the compound. logically ‘this’ would have been a ‘big’ news in the bn msm.
however the crowd was unexpectedly calm and peaceful while gathering within the hospital compound. it would then logical that the fru would use water cannon and tear gas to provoke them for the same motive. true that there is no tear gas fired into the hospital building because firing them to the crowd outside is ‘good enough’.
the hospitals are intended victim and the crowd was the intended criminal.
#7 by ktteokt on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 5:56 pm
Another dato’ (gong-gong aka eunuch) from MCA who has been CASTRATED by UMNO!
#8 by dagen on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 6:08 pm
Jibby Jib is now truly a piece of fried chicken.
#9 by Bigjoe on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 6:21 pm
I have to agree with Sdr. LKS the clown got a memo from PMO instructing him to do this because even and idiot knows this is a bad lie. Only a neutered idiot on leash won’t object to telling such a bad lie..
#10 by pulau_sibu on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 6:26 pm
please ask liow to speak in Malay next time. His Malay may be better than his English.
#11 by Loh on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 8:19 pm
///Liow said a hospital should not have been caught in such a situation, and that the protesters should not have gone into the hospital to seek refuge.///
That stupid man forgot that it was the police who caused the people to run away from teargas. It was also stupid of him to think that people should not choose the safest place to seek refuge, and the hospital was one such places. Now Liow blamed the protesters seeking refuge in the hospital for attracting teargas from the police and yet Liow said that the police did not fire teargas into the hospital compound. The stupid Health Minister would never realize that the contradictory thoughts in his mind confirms that he lied.
#12 by dcasey on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 8:29 pm
One word describes him…COWARD!!! Oh yes, he blackmailed himself to tell lies so that he can remain as the hell minister.
#13 by balance88 on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 10:38 pm
Don’ expect Liow to say the truth. When MCA is lead by a questionable leader like Chua, who lacks morality, integrity and judgment as evidenced by his sex scandal, what do you expect of the rest of the MCA leaders. And to think that all those MCA delegates voted such a leader in says a lot about their own integrity, moral values and judgment. Its like a thief stopping another from stealing or a pot calling a kettle black!
He is attempting to do a Copperfield. Thousands of eyes can see the police fire into the hospital except Liow and his masters! They need to visit an opthalmologist.
#14 by bruno on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 10:56 pm
Liow doesn’t have to be blackmailed.He is a lapdog,isn’t he.Lapdogs are suppossed to be very, very and very obedient.Or else he wouldn’t be called a lapdog.
These lapdogs have no sense of loyalty,consience,pride or dignity.He would gladly go down on all fours and begged to his masters to be given the oppuntunity to lie for them.This is the scum that he is supposed to be.
#15 by limkamput on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 11:03 pm
Of course we have to go after politicians but we also need to find from which police officer the direct order was given to fire tear gas and shoot chemically laced water into the hospital? When time come, he must be held accountable. We should start giving ample warnings to public officers if they do not want to hauled up someday to account for whatever they have done. We shall never forget.
#16 by yhsiew on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 - 11:55 pm
The other possibility is that Tiong Lai might have been promised a reward by Umno for telling untruths about Tung Shin Hospital. Tiong Lai should search his conscience for making this blatant lie.
#17 by raven77 on Wednesday, 13 July 2011 - 1:26 am
MCA…
No honour…
No dignity…