The Mystery of Tung Shin 11
By Syed Akbar Ali
Feeling a little light hearted today. Maybe its the weather. Maybe buah dah jadi. It was reported that 11 doctots from Tung Shin Hospital made some statement about the Bersih mob. Here is an extract :
“A group of senior medical officers have issued a statement condemning the authorities over the police’ attack on participants in the Bersih 2.0 rally last Saturday that had violated universal recognition of hospitals as a place of sanctuary”
That was the 11 doctors from Tung Shin Hospital who spoke up against the Police.
I received an interesting phone call a few days ago from someone who knows some of these 11 doctors quite well. Interesting because the person who called me is an ex-politician and activist. He asked me to just check out the background of some of these 11 doctors. I did and it is quite interesting.
Firstly, it is a fact that not all the 11 were present at the Tung Shin Hospital on that particular day. I am now wondering just how many of them (or if any of them) were actually present at the Tung Shin Hospital? If you were not present, can you verify something that you did not witness? Hmm..
Secondly, there is some confusion if these doctors are full time doctors at Tung Shin, or they run clinics (where they pop in at certain days and times of the week) or do they just come by for consultation hours; or do they sort of “locum” at Tung Shin. (I know GPs locum, I dont know the word for ‘specialists’).
When I first read about their statement I was under the impression that all these 11 doctors were indeed present at the Tung Shin Hospital on that day, busy delivering babies, performing heart surgery, brain surgery and stuff like that, when the tear gas wafted into their operating theatres and endangered the lives of their patients and such. I was mistaken. That was not the case.
I think these 11 doctors owe the public an explanation exactly how many babies, mothers, heart patients or any type of patients at all were affected by all the huge volumes of tear gas that was floating around the wards. Because the Police have since shown videos that do not show any Policeman firing tear gas into the wards and rooms in the hospital. Tear gas was definitely fired outside the hospital grounds, no one denies that – and some of it most definitely drifted across the road and into the hospital grounds. But to imply that the Police were firing tear gas into the hospital – well the Police have refuted those allegations. And the Police have video.
Before I go any further, let me reiterate that this is still a free country. This is still a democracy. Over 50 years now, we are becoming an even more vibrant and free democracy. People can say what they want, associate with anyone they want to, they can identify with whoever they want to. It is not a crime. You can support the Pakatan, you can support Chin Peng, you can support the Communists, you can support the corrupted sodomists, you can support liars and cheats, you can support the religious freaks. You can support whoever you want. This freedom is guaranteed to you. Why? Because this is a free country.
How will you know this for a fact? Simple. Are you a supporter of any of those people I have mentioned above? Yes or no? Are you in jail as you are reading this? No? Where are you? At home? In your office? So you are NOT in jail. I have proven my point.
In the same way I hope I can also be given my space to express my free speech and my beliefs. Surely freedom of thought and speech is not just reserved for the Pakatan folks alone? Boleh faham ke? So here goes.
Firstly the “Tung Shin 11″ who released the statement were :
1. Dr Mazeni Alwi – Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist
2. Dr Sheikh Johari Bux – Consultant O & G
3. Dr Jeffrey Abu Hassan. – Consultant Chest Physician
4. Datuk Dr Musa Mohd Nordin – Consultant Paediatrician & Neonatologist
5. Dr David Quek – Consult Cardiologist (MMA past president).
6. Dr Mary Cardosa – Consult Anaesthesiologist (MMA president)
7. Dr Ng Kwee Boon – Consultant O & G
8. Datin Dr Low Paik See – Consultant Paediatrician
9. Dr Steve Wong – Consultant Plastic Surgeon
10. Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa – Consultant Cardio Thoracic Surgeon
11. Dr Ng Swee Choon – Consultant Cardiologist
What I found out was that more than half of these 11 doctors were not only delivering babies and saving lives (which is a noble thing to do – congratulations guys) but they are also staunch Pakatan sympathisers, who are actively engaged in pro Pakatan work through their involvement in NGOs, through their writings and their sympathies.
For example, I discovered this document on the Net, dated 24 June, 2011 (two weeks before the rally) which is strongly in support of Bersih. I have truncated the letter for quick reading :
MPF Press Release – Death Threats to BERSIH organisers
JUNE 24, 2011
We the undersigned board members of MPF read with horror and disbelief the open threats to commit murder on proponents of BERSIH 2 March planned for 9 July 2011.
..any threat of violence is malicious and jeopardises the peaceful co-existence of all in this beloved country of ours Regardless of one’s feelings about the correctness or otherwise of the planned gathering on 9 July 2011, nobody other than the insane or racial supremacist will be in agreement with the obnoxious wave of highly coordinated text messages ..
All Malaysians who love this country must unequivocally condemn this dastardly and cowardly act of extreme provocation.
We, members of civil society have had enough of the escalating threats by individuals and groups who have increasingly upped the ante on pursuing their parochial and racist agenda.
Dr Mazeni Alwi
Dr Shaikh Johari Bux
Haji Mohamed Ali Ghazali
Dr Jeffrey Abu Hassan
Dato’ Dr Musa Mohd. Nordin
Wow. This is very strong “political language” for good doctors who deliver babies and perform heart surgeries.
If you notice, four of these signatories above : Dr Mazeni Alwi, Dr Johari Bux, Dr Jeffrey Abu Hassan and Dr Musa Nordin are also part of the “Tung Shin 11″.
In other words these four doctors already had preconceived notions about Bersih. Obviously they were already strongly in support of Bersih. And I picked up this document at a PAS website run by “Dr Zul” – I think the PAS think tank fellow. Sources tell me that Dato Dr Musa Mohd Nordin is not only a strong supporter of PAS but is also a committed political activist. Oh well.
Now here is one more character : Dr David Quek, listed as Number 6 in the list of the “Tung Shin 11″ above. Dr Quek was the former president of the MMA (medical association). A few days BEFORE Bersih, Dr Quek had written a very long and impassioned letter (which he has sent to various newsportals and also to members of the MMA) in strong support of Bersih. He has quite blatantly asked people to join “the revolution”.
Here is his letter. It is too long, so I have truncated it. You can read it at other sites including Malaysiakini (http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/169065)
Outrage and anguish at gov’t crackdown on Bersih
Dr David KL Quek
Jul 6, 11
Having just recently completed my two-year term as president of the Malaysian Medical Association, I cannot refrain any longer from expressing my personal outrage and that of many among my profession.
.sadly…Bersih 2.0 is outlawed, although this is a loose coalition of some 65 NGOs, all of which are convinced about the need, nay the imperative, to improve our electoral processes and strengthen our stunted democracy!
..this burgeoning swathe of enlightened social activists as politically biased and opposition-influenced!
..a wiser government must choose on the side of righteousness and not …political paranoia and high-handed cowardice!
..Few police states last for long-there is only so much that ordinary citizens can take lying down.
..the international community would if not already treat us as a ‘pariah’
.. the police have exerted its draconian and much maligned EO (Emergency Ordinance)
..Or would more and more of us join ranks with the frustrated and the disempowered, to hanker even more loudly and determinedly for change, for reform, for ‘revolution’ even, as have taken place elsewhere!?
..As the date towards a people’s rally for electoral reform approaches, the authorities’ paranoia has escalated to shrill decibels of painful mindless noises of disingenuous half truths and unbelievable mendacity.
..we call on you to do the righteous thing
Wow !! Bravo !! “we call on you to do the righteous thing..”, “to hanker even more loudly and determinedly for change, for reform, for ‘revolution’ even, as have taken place elsewhere!?”.
So the good doctor is calling for people “to do the righteous thing, for ‘revolution’ even as have taken place elsewhere. Cool doc. Really cool.
May I suggest another simpler option : why not just try the ballot box? Afraid to lose ke? Too many Malays living in the country lah. Thats the real prohblem isnt it? Apa nak buat? Its called Malay-sia.
Let me digress a little, should we change the name of the country to better reflect our racial mix? Other than Malays, Chinese, Indians we have the Kadazans, the Ibans, the exquisite Bidayuhs and Kelabits. Maybe we can change the name of the country to “The McKikebabes” – pronounced ma-ki-key-babes. M is for Malays, C is for Chinese, K for Kadazans, I for Indians and Ibans, ‘babes’ for Bidayuhs and Kelabits. Apa macam? Boleh ke?
I can hear the Punjabis rattling somewhere in the corner. Maybe if we put a little Bangra in the national anthem?
On second thoughts, I think we better not lah. “Malaysia” is just fine. “Tanah Melayu” is actually perfect. (When I was a child I used to love the ‘Persekutuan Tanah Melayu” logo and also the “Keretapi Tanah Melayu” logo). Where else in the world can there be a land for the Malays. The Indians have India. Even my ancestors have Tamil Nadu (the “Land” of the Tamils, fuiyyo). The Chinese have China. So kasi chan lah – orang Melayu pun mesti ada tanah sendiri – Tanah Melayu ke, Malaya ke, Malaysia ke.
Anyway Dr Quek has been busy writing many things in favour of Bersih. Here is that same article he wrote in some other news portals. This is according to Dr Quek’s own testimony ok, bukan saya yang cakap. Jangan marah saya ok.
TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2011 (Note the date : all these are BEFORE the Bersih mob took place)
Arbitrary power and partisan police action disillusions and undermines our nationhood…
By Dr David KL Quek
Malaysian Mirror is the first to publish my article, 5 July 2011:
Senseless Detention And Arbitrary Police Action Disillusions Our Nation
Malaysiakini publishes this on 6 July 2011: Outrage and anguish at gov’t crackdown on Bersih
Here are some other sites which have articles supporting BERSIH written by Dr Quek as well as some of the other “Tung Shin 11″. All these articles were written before the Bersih mob took to the streets.
http://dq-liberte.blogspot.com/2011/07/arbitrary-power-and-partisan-police.html
http://blog.drdzul.com/2011/06/24/mpf-press-release-death-threats-to-bersih-organisers/
Finally there is Dr Mary Cardosa, No. 6 in the list of the “Tung Shin 11″ above.
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