Tuesday, April 05, 2011

You can fool the dead but not (all) the living

Manufactured evidence for money?
The question about Porntip's credibility.. Ever since the sex video starring Anwar Ibrahim or his lookalike came into our lives, many pressing matters affecting the Malaysian conscience have been shoved aside. One of them is the Royal , at Commission of Inquiry into Teoh Beng Hock and what a pity. But for one individual, at least, the distraction provided by the porn must have been a blessing and she is none other than Porntip. News of her credentials and credibility being ripped into shreds by the lawyer representing the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission last Saturday did not make the screaming headlines it should. The blogs missed it too.

One dude who was not distracted is NST's top columnist Azmi Anshar, who captured Porntip's oohs and aahs in this article Her "80pc homicide" statement will haunt her:


By Azmi Anshar 

THAI forensic pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunan, she with the "punk" flamboyance, flaming hairdo and an expensive bounty on her head, has made a hazardous career taking on the authorities and dubious characters in her homeland. 
Reports of the 55-year-old's exploits stood her in defiance of powerful people in Thai police and military as she scoured the "deadliest" places to uncover forensic evidence of murder and mayhem, sometimes shadowed by intimidating-looking bodyguards after her work spooked a million baht (RM100,000) bounty on her head, preferably dead. 
As a response as to why she nonchalantly risks her life doing what she does, Dr Pornthip would always coil around her favourite credo: it is her duty to find truth and justice for the dead because they can't speak, especially for those killed under suspicious circumstances. 
She replicated that credo precisely and pointedly when she answered questions posed on Saturday at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh Beng Hock's death on July 16, 2009, insisting that Teoh could have been strangled prior to his fall which was the cause of death. 
In that sense, she speaks in exactness -- it is what right-thinking people expect of her profession -- but she makes it sound condescendingly heroic, as opposed to the thousands of other forensic scientists worldwide doing the same job, some better, but minus the in-your-face facade, opportunistic soundbytes and sensationally glib pronouncements. 
Dr Pornthip has proven herself to be no shrinking violet, demonstrated by her perilous head-butting with Thai politicians, law enforcement and military on how the dead died or were killed, but that was the easy part; she almost always established evidence favouring her findings and outburst. 
But her testimony on Teoh had been decidedly prickly. Before the inquest into Teoh's death in April last year, she concluded, without the benefit of a personally-conducted autopsy or one that is closely observed, that Teoh's death was "80 per cent homicide" simply by looking at pre-autopsy photographs of Teoh's body. 
The best Crime Scene Investigation experts won't dare make a pre-autopsy declaration or such a daunting claim like that, even if they possess prodigious instincts. But Dr Pornthip was unrepentant in her inference, until she kicked a fuss that "someone from Putrajaya" was trying to pressure her from testifying at the inquest, forcing her to "fear for her life." 
Afraid for her life from a "little pressure"? The same woman who defied Thai police and military and wore that bounty like a badge of honour? There was no proof that someone "influential" from Putrajaya wants to stop her testimony, or it could have been just a crank call. Who knows?
In any case, references to that glib inference are shrugged aside now as she has since observed the second autopsy last November, hence her testimony on Saturday. 
But she stands alone against the testimonies of Dr Prashant Naresh Samberkar, Dr Peter Vanezis and Dr Shahidan Md Noor -- two independent forensic scientists and one for the government -- who separately testified but collectively concluded that Teoh was likely to have taken his own life based on what they deemed to be compelling evidence.
 Dr Vanezis is the acclaimed forensic expert who took part in the probe into the circumstances surrounding Princess Diana's questionable death and provided evidence for South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Council hearings.  
The question as to why Teoh might want to commit suicide was not stated by Dr Prashant, Dr Vanezis or Dr Shahidan, but clinical psychologists might like to explore anger, shame and guilt of having to spill the beans on his bosses. 
That's why Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission counsel Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah went for the jugular, charging Dr Pornthip with "putting her opinion forward in Teoh's case without a complete assessment", to which she quickly retreated to her trusted credo. 
In retaliatory indignation, Dr Pornthip posited that she was "not paid" by certain quarters to give her opinion, "unlike Shafee".
That's where she was being disingenuous. In the inquest last year, she was a hired gun brought in by the Selangor government to provide an alternative autopsy in the same manner Shafee was hired to defend the MACC against scurrilous insinuation, long before the inquest was held, that the MACC had murdered Teoh. 
Dr Pornthip also made indignant rebuttals to the on-going Thailand Medical Council's investigation into her alleged breach of conduct for allegedly manufacturing evidence for money, which Shafee laid out: 12 top forensic pathologists dispelled Dr Pornthip's conclusion of homicide in the high-profile death of a Bangkok member of parliament and multimillionaire Hangthong Thammawattana. 
Dr Pornthip became agitated and defensive to this line of questioning, insisting that it would "confuse with this case" while many of the issues raised were "untrue". 
Shafee was not about to let the questioning slide away: in alluding to Hangthong's death in 1999, the Thai government hired Dr Pornthip to conduct a second autopsy to verify police's conclusion of suicide. 
Instead, she built a case for homicide, forcing the authorities to charge the dead MP's younger brother with murder. However, when the accused called for the third autopsy that was conducted by the 12 experts, including her teachers, they reached suicide as a cause of death.
Shafee's last indictment prompted Dr Pornthip to be even more defensive: she insisted that the Chicagoan expert, whom she acknowledged as a teacher, did not support the group conclusion, asserting that "my teacher was on my side". 
Did Shafee reinforce an already lingering doubt on Dr Pornthip's professionalism and competence? Perhaps. Or it must be noted that the "80 per cent homicide" proclamation she made last year to blithely infer on Teoh's death should now return to haunt her.
Read also
Porntip investigated over breach of discipline
Porntip mengaku disiasat ...

55 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:24 pm

    Should never trust a wierd looking Mak Cik Thailand.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Read also

    http://cendana287.blogspot.com/2011/04/exposed-daps-expert-pathologist-dr.html?showComment=1301981833751#c7771507997471972974

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous1:43 pm

    "Cari makan maa....."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ronnie1:59 pm

    Besides Azmi Anzhar in NST, there was one blog who spotted this matter about Pornthip. Mat Cendana Hack Writer wrote it on Sunday in http://cendana287.blogspot.com/2011/04/exposed-daps-expert-pathologist-dr.html

    There is a link to Bernama about Pornthip being exposed at the Royal Commission. Also a theory about Teoh sleepwalking! Who's to say this is ridiculous?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous2:02 pm

    Dato'

    This vital part of the proceedings -- pertinent questions & evidence regarding her credibility & partiality -- were simply glossed over by pro-opp webnews like MI.

    It's sad what's happening to our country now. People are no longer concerned about WHAT'S right or wrong, but rather WHO'S right or wrong, based on their skewed political leanings & not the unblemished truth.

    LOCK

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous2:30 pm

    Rocky,

    For all you care to know, the dead and God is especially watching all for all the mess around including xx videos..and their perpetrators.

    At a time when even us in Malaysia should be celebrating another

    ASIAN nation's cricket World Cup SUCCESS (including some supremeist!
    and SOME dreamers thinking why not us with all our so-called talents),

    we as a nation are sooooooo
    stuck in a pornful cup of stinky smelly sleeze he..hee =LIVING&SAD=

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous2:56 pm

    who said Azmi Anshsr is NSTP top columist?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous3:51 pm

    azmin ansher spins...

    KKKRRRGGGG PTUI !!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Salam Datuk,

    Pornthip's credibility could be the reason why the DAP and the Selangor State Govt withdrew from the RCI.

    Your post reminds me to pose a question. Will YB Wee Choo Keong be called by the RCI?

    BTW, the read also link does not work.

    Thank you
    Freddie

    ReplyDelete
  10. And since when did an NST Editorial or commentary have any credibility?

    And you also skipped over the fact that the MACC Officers were downloading porn at time when they were meant to be interviewing Teoh....

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous4:22 pm

    AIYAH LATUK.

    U & THIS AZMEE FLER RUNNING DOWN PORNTIP LIKE THAT...

    GOT PAID OR NOT ?

    HOW MUCH ?

    CAN DONATE A BIT TO THOSE TSUNAMI VICTIMS IN JAPAN KE ?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ini gro Siam upahan si Khalid gagap

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous5:21 pm

    What's your point? Utter bullshit as usual. Someone died and you can do is spin....

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous5:32 pm

    Hi Rocky

    As usual, you are licking Armno
    boots for not socking it tp u in the sedition case ;-(

    As usual, you will not darwe to publish this post

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous6:45 pm

    Dia pakai hantu raya Siam tolong solves her cases. Tapi we all knowlah hantu raya suka tipu tuan dia sendiri.
    Tu hari ada tonton CSI kat tv. Soalannya do you know the difference between good cop and bad cop?Bad cop,among many good things he does to the society, is when he commits only one little thing against the law.
    Again same question, what is the difference between good and bad pathologist?Bad pathologist is when he or she manufactures evidence only once.

    ReplyDelete
  16. THanks Dam Dalyell, my apologies to Mat Cendana!

    And Frankie, the link is up, thanks for the alert.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous9:55 pm

    muka mcm Mona Fandey...

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous10:00 pm

    opinion just like an arsehole, everyone have one but just like assmee, it stink like hell...

    tak dak otak, asal sokong amno bolih jadi kaya

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous11:10 pm

    The DAP guys are accusing the MACC because they have to cover their wrong doings. TBH spilled the beans and was a spoiler to the DAP squandering.

    Based on public statements, there were arguments at the loo with the last known person to see him alive in clandish language. What was the argument all about? And who was that last person? Why was that last person giving conflicting statements over national TV but was never quizzed?

    But, the guns are aimed at MACC in a concerted effort to make the public believe their accusations and at the same time cover their arses.

    This is only a theory, but it is like the OJ Simpson case, twisted till there's nothing to twist.

    A GOOD MAN DOES NOTHING.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous11:24 pm

    Dear Rocky,
    I agree with you completely. But a person is dead here. So who did it? The PDRM does not know. MACC the department to which he was called as a witness does not know. The AG does not know and those in the Putrajaya Class also do not know.
    In Islam the first and foremost basic right is to life. 'Whosoever kills a human being ( without any reason like) man-slaughter or corruption on earth, is though he had killed all mankind" (5:32)The right to life has been given to MAN as a whole by Islam.

    The propriety of taking life in retaliation for murder or for spreading corruption can only be decided by a competent court.Please note that the emphasis on the word 'competent'.

    'Do not kill a soul which Allah has made sacred except through the due process of the law'. (6:151.

    The citizens want to know what happened. Who knows one day it may be our son, daughter, brother or sister who may face the same situation. Thank You.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Mat kepit2:31 am

    Salam

    National Geographic have gave recognition about Dr Ponthip works and you can watch that in NatGeo channel....why cant you and who are you people to argue with her when NatGeo is already recognize her works.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yeah

    The dead are those living now & believing so easily the untruth-spinnings.......so who are fooling around?....the dead fooling the dead....simple

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wargamas3:08 am

    If I remember correctly, Dr. Porntip's error in the Hangthong Thammawattana case and her investigation by the Medical Board of Thailand, was first reported way back in November 2009 by blogger Alizul in his post Dr Porntip: More Questions.

    Her above past records were never brought before the Inquest, and it seem ironical that they are only now being raised at the RCI - almost two years later.

    And talking about the RCI, let's hope no one miss Gopal Raj Kumar's post here.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous8:28 am

    A very good article. Can you good bloggers allow your blog sites to enable articles to be shared on other sites such as Facebook. This article for example must be shared to a wider audience and readers. Thank you.
    Salam overseas,
    westaussiemalay@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous10:12 am

    Wow, interesting reading asme anshare.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Why are you running down a expert witness like that?

    Why have you run down other MACC witness who watch porn at office?

    HAHAHA, Datuk you are biased!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous1:04 pm

    "Mat kepit said...National Geographic have gave recognition about Dr Ponthip works....why cant you and who are you people to argue with her when NatGeo is already recognize her works"

    DR PORN is first & foremost a medical doctor, next a forensist. Her PROFESSIONAL credibility, meaning whether her word stands in COURT or anywhere, where life, limb & freedom is at stake, can only be attested by her peers & the Thai Medical Board (TMB)

    Her peers M Rempit means other, preferably more SENIOR & ESTABLISHED forensits! Certainly not lay-persons like M Rempit , what more NatGeo, which is a profit-oriented media entity.

    M Rempit can gape & awe at Dr Porn, but at the end of the day its her peers & the TMB that has the final say whether its "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" for Dr Porn. And it was a unanimous thumbs down!

    But I guess all these objective facts & evidence means nothing for M Rempit & his ilk coz they've already decided to crucify the MACC regardless.

    Inilah masalah orang yang nama, gempak & lagak sahaja memperjuangkan Keadilan tetapi pemikiran , peradaban & tindakan serba tak adil>

    "PELIWAT MESTI BERTAUBAT"

    LOCK

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous1:09 pm

    What about the latest death in macc custody dato what say u now.

    ReplyDelete
  29. she was a hired gun brought in by the Selangor government to provide an ALTERNATIVE autopsy...

    that means she must find and give another theory even against the real fact she found from her autopsy. what important for her is provide different theory(homicide) as instruct by Selangor's Pakatan Haram PKR,DAP n PAS! just like that...

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous1:20 pm

    Customs officer falls to death during MACC probe.... pray the macc lawyer and the so-called nstp reporter have a good answer for this latest "suicide".

    VAN

    ReplyDelete
  31. Sudah Lah Rocky!!!3:00 pm

    Sudah lah Rocky! Cukup!!! I'm tired of your spinning! AstaghfiruLlah! Another man dies in the MACC (alfatihah). What say you now? That the MACC is the Malaysian executioner who could sentence to death any Malaysian, even before the guilty verdict is read in a court of law? If I were the family of the second man who dies in the MACC premises, I wouldn't hesitate to use the good services of the truly legendary Dr Khunying Pornthip Rojanasunand yet again.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous4:01 pm

    Dear Dato,

    Another man 'FALLING' from a MACC building. First we had the Chinaman 'falling' from the building. Now we have the Malay fellow 'falling' from the MACC building.

    I guess all the Machas/Anes/Thambis have to watch out very carefully if you get summoned to the MACC bulding as you may suffer a 'fall'. After all must follow Najibs 1 Malaysia!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous4:06 pm

    Dear Dato,

    I think even you will find it difficult to spin for the MACC after the latest fiasco about our bumbling idiots in the MACC!
    But as usual I am sure you will try.Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous4:58 pm

    Another MACC witness fell to his death over the Customs fiasco. Also while under custody.

    Quickly rush Porntip to the scene.

    A GOOD MAN DOES NOTHING.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous6:00 pm

    Ronnie," Sleep walking " , you have got another thing coming,
    Another death at MACC, sleep walking again Ronnie ??

    Rocky, why so quiet about MACC's officers downloading Porn Videos??
    You are very selective in your topics.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous6:14 pm

    Today we are shock by another Death at MACC's Office, this time the poor man is one unfortunate Malay man, my heart goes out to his wife and children. Today is this Malay Customs Director's turn to fly out of MACC's Office 3rd floor, tomorrow it could be you Attan or it could be your son or your wife or it could another person. So are you going to do another Spin on this unfortunate Malay Customs Director I wonder ?. Just be fair Attan, do not Spin for your Master for you will reap what you sow today.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous6:19 pm

    Very good write up.
    Lets hear on the next death that occured in MACC premises.
    Whats the story line?

    PARAMESWARA

    ReplyDelete
  38. Anonymous6:28 pm

    westaussiemalay, you can read the original blog at nst.com.my under the OpEd section. There are comments from readers posted there as well. And you can share that article on facebook, etc also.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Anonymous6:41 pm

    I hv someone who can detail every single moment before TBH died and exactly wht was on his mind before his last breadth.

    Simple young humble college student, not glamour mcam Harun Din..

    Dato Rocky, kalau ader yg berminat, just let me know, will locate him.

    PERWIRA.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous7:09 pm

    He's a good journalist, I have to admit... but it's so clear (here and in NST) that Azmi Anshar gets off by writing like many journalists in India. He is the text equivalent of DJs who love to hear their own voices.

    - Keropok Man.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Anonymous7:17 pm

    BABI GILAz,,,,Da jadi satu trend sape-sapa kena siasat dgn SPRM,,,,either terjun TINGKAP or kena Balaing LUAR Tingkap!!!!!

    -LANCAP2-

    ReplyDelete
  42. Anonymous7:43 pm

    Dear Dato , Allah Maha kaya dan berkuasa, Sekarang sudah kematian kedua dibawah MACC , what is your take now? Suicide ????

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous8:14 pm

    another death at MACC. this time from 3rd floor to 1st floor. lets see them try write this off as a suicide. maybe we will find a note 1 year later?

    hey, i have an idea. just say DAP/PAS ninja kommandos killed the man to frame BN gahmen before Sarawak polls. get CCTV footage from D-grade 1980s ninja movie. call zaini hassan at utusan and pitch him this idea.

    you can fool some of the living, but not spirits of the dead...

    ReplyDelete
  44. Anonymous8:26 pm

    sia sia bro lu defend macc all this while... lagi sekor mamat terjun dari macc office.

    ReplyDelete
  45. 1) Azmi Anshar rocks!

    2) Porntip does not add value to the RCI her credibility has been vaporised. What she says is of no consequence.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Purple Haze11:35 pm

    Dr Pornthip can be criticised but the fact now is that another person that was in a MACC facility has mysteriously fallen 3 floors to his death.

    Another suicide ?

    A person choosing to fall 3 floors is not assured of death ... if that was his choice.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Talent Scout11:45 pm

    Doesn't this Porntip have very close semblance to Mona Fendi? So, film producers who plan to make a film on the infamous Mona Fendy would know whom to look for for the major role.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Anonymous12:37 am

    berapa agaknya kerajaan selangor bayar kat minah rock ni?
    boleh dapat refund ke? duit rakyat tu.


    kasim pantalun

    ReplyDelete
  49. Anonymous4:19 pm

    Roc!
    Without Porntip, everything would have been swept under the rug in bolehland!
    Semua okay !a famous umno word !
    Two deaths is getting not okay man!
    Why spin it differently ...Remember the young malay girl who was raped by the famous Datuk T ? Her grand nannie had to turn to DAP..you malays did'nt want to do anything with her....Well its time those custom guys turn to DAP because at the end of the day it will be suside and then everything okay!the police will puzzyfoot especially MACC malays will be treated with golden gloves whereas if its Kugan they will have a confession within hours.This is bolehland Roc and you know what we mean!
    Spin with honesty and not with a hidden veil!

    ReplyDelete
  50. In the first place why should we trust this Dr Porno-tips .... by her looks ...she could be hooking in downtown pattaya.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Anonymous4:57 pm

    My friend said: "Thinking of visiting the MACC office today? Bring a rapid opening parachute just in case..."

    HAHA!


    - Din Berambut.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Anonymous6:41 pm

    Pornthip amongst other things brought the coronial inquiry into Teoh's death into disrepute by her contempt for it by lying and in joining te lawyers who supported her in refusing to answer questions on her credibility and credentials.

    Additionally it was incumbent on James Foong the Royal commissioner to have purged that contempt of hers then taking ionto consideration the fact she is being investigated in Thailand on criminal matters. Apart from all of this she claims to have conducted over 10,000 autopsies over a 27 year period spanning her entire career. That however did not raise questions in James Foong's mind. It gives one an idea of how this Royal Commission will end up.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Anonymous9:29 pm

    I am more inclined to look the other way..

    I think there are some wanting to make sure MACC dont function.

    Fullstop

    PERWIRA

    ReplyDelete
  54. Anonymous6:25 pm

    dunia dah nak kiamat

    ReplyDelete
  55. Anonymous10:33 am

    MACC should be on trial for Teoh Beng Hock's death.
    Dr Pornthip should not be put on trial. She is just giving her expert opinion from her knowledge and experience.
    She is a qualified Forensic doctor with vast experience.

    In any legal case, everyone will pay and bring their experts from all over the world & he/she expects the court to accept his/her expert's opinion.

    You ask 10 doctors to look at the SAME histology slide and write down what they see and their opinions, you may get 10 opinions.

    ReplyDelete