Lawyer Accuses Health Dg Of Lying Over Utm Cadet S Autopsy

---

 


The lawyer for the mother of deceased Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) cadet Syamsul Haris Shamsudin accused the Health Ministry’s health director-general, Dr Mahathar Abd Wahab, of lying.
ADSNaran Singh disputed Mahathar’s earlier statement that Syamsul’s first post-mortem was not conducted by a medical officer (MO) from the Kota Tinggi Hospital in Johor.
The MO in question had actually sworn an affidavit at the Shah Alam High Court that he carried out the post-mortem, the lawyer said.
“The director-general (Mahathar) is lying,” he told Malaysiakini.
In the affidavit dated Aug 21 sighted by Malaysiakini, the Kota Tinggi Hospital MO said he carried out the post-mortem with the aid of an MO from Sultan Ismail Hospital.
In the same document, he placed Kota Tinggi Hospital as his address.
A separate affidavit by the Sultan Ismail Hospital MO, dated Aug 21, stated that she had assisted an MO from the Kota Tinggi Hospital in the post-mortem.
“I am prepared to publicly debate (this) with him (Mahathar),” Naran (above) said.
Earlier today, Mahathar said all forensic autopsy cases are supervised by a forensic pathology specialist, stressing that Syamsul’s post-mortem was done in accordance with prescribed forensic procedures after receiving instructions from the police.
“The case was referred to a forensic pathology specialist, and the body was brought to Sultan Ismail Hospital, Johor, which has complete facilities to ensure that the examination was conducted comprehensively and in detail.
“The post-mortem was conducted by a medical officer at the Forensic Medicine Department, Sultan Ismail Hospital, Johor, and not by a medical officer (from) the Kota Tinggi Hospital, Johor, as alleged,” Mahathar said in a statement.
The Health Ministry’s health director-general, Dr Mahathar Abd Wahab (right), at his appointment in MayYesterday, Naran told Malaysiakini that he is demanding an explanation on the involvement of an MO in the post-mortem conducted on Syamsul’s body on July 29.
The lawyer explained that Syamsul’s mother, Ummu Haiman Bee Daulatgun, earlier expressed her desire for forensic experts to conduct the autopsy when her son’s body was first brought to the Kota Tinggi Hospital.
ADSHowever, Naran claimed that despite Ummu’s wishes, the same MO from Kota Tinggi Hospital had travelled 40km to the Sultan Ismail Hospital to carry out the post-mortem.
Syamsul’s death case
Syamsul, 22, passed away at the Kota Tinggi Hospital on July 28. He had undergone Reserve Officer Training Unit (Rotu) training before his death.
Ummu suspected foul play after seeing bruises and bloodied eyes on Syamsul’s body before he was buried, which led to her lodging a police report.
A photo of deceased Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) cadet Syamsul Haris Shamsudin held by his mother, Ummu Haiman Bee DaulatgunJohor deputy police chief Abdul Latiff Mehat said on Aug 1 that the police were investigating Syamsul’s death.
On the same day, however, Kota Tinggi district police chief Yusof Othman said no criminal element had been found in the case, while Defence Minister Khaled Nordin said his ministry had set up a committee to investigate Syamsul’s death.
Ummu then filed an application at the Shah Alam High Court on Aug 14, requesting the exhumation of Syamsul’s body, a second post-mortem, and an inquest into his death.
On Aug 26, judicial commissioner Bhupindar Singh Gurcharan Singh Preet allowed Ummu’s application for Syamsul’s body to be exhumed and for a second post-mortem to be held.
On Sept 18, Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar said any decision on whether an inquest will be held into Syamsul’s death will be made after receiving a full report from the police, including the hospital’s report on the second post-mortem, which is expected to be completed within three months. - Mkini

---