Najib's bare denial is contradicted by Dr Porntip's statement

We refer to PM Najib Razak's denial on 15 February 2013 that he had stopped Dr Porntip Projanasunan from carrying out the 2nd autopsy on C Sugumar. We stand by our statement issued on 14 Feb that Najib and the Malaysian government had effectively prevented Dr Porntip from performing the 2nd autopsy. Our source for this is impeccable and authoritative.

Najib's bare denial is contradicted by Dr Porntip's own statement to Malaysian online media on 15 February 2013. Dr Porntip had said that Thailand's Ministry of Justice had informed her that there was communication from the Malaysian government on their displeasure against Dr Porntip, especially on her role in the earlier case of Teoh Beng Hock. In diplomatic language this is a clear message from the Malaysian government that Dr Porntip is not welcome in Malaysia for purposes of the 2nd autopsy for Sugumar.

Najib's denial is further contradicted by the existence of a letter from the Thai Ministry of Justice to Dr Porntip stating in effect that the Malaysian government was against her conducting the 2nd autopsy. That letter was dated 14 February 2013 and was a follow up to communications on this subject between the Malaysian government and the Thai government.

This letter was several pages long, of which only part of a page was referred to in a Malaysiakini report on 15 February 2013. The main part of the letter refers to the message from the Malaysian government.

Apart from Najib's bare denial, there has been no explanation from the Malaysian government on the existence of this incriminating letter. Is Najib seriously saying that he has no knowledge of his own government's high level pressure on the Thai government, which is proven by the contents of the Thai Ministry of Justice's letter to Dr Porntip?

Teoh Beng Hock's case

It is also revealed in the 14th February letter that the Malaysian government had complained and made other communications to the Thai government on Dr Porntip's role in the 2nd Autopsy of Teoh Beng Hock.

It is shocking that at the same time that the government was promising justice to Teoh Beng Hock's family, they were making diplomatic complaints to Dr Porntip's home country. In view of this the Teoh Beng Hock case should be re-opened and the full circumstances of the government's interference in the inquiries into his death be investigated.

Our Demand

We call upon PM Najib Razak to immediately lift all diplomatic and administrative obstacles against Dr Porntip to perform the 2nd autopsy and to write to the Thai PM to convey this. In light of his claim that he did not prevent Dr Porntip, why has he not asked the Thai government to go ahead and send Dr Porntip to Malaysia for the 2nd autopsy?

We also ask that PM Najib Razak reveal the full extent of the communications with the Thai government on the 2nd autopsy of C Sugumar. The family and the Malaysian public are fully entitled to this information. 

Issued by,
N Surendran
Latheefa Koya