Bersih: Police corporal ‘scapegoat’ in Tung Shin scandal
By Lisa J Ariffin, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — Bersih 2.0 said today authorities have made a scapegoat of the policeman held solely responsible for firing tear gas into Tung Shin Hospital during the July 9 rally for free and fair elections.
“This is ridiculous. Everyone saw … the whole world saw the video. The poor guy is the scapegoat.
“If you say just one, did they really do a proper investigation? How can they say it’s one?” Bersih steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah told The Malaysian Insider.
Kuala Lumpur police had said yesterday that the police corporal who breached standard operating procedure (SOP) during the rally would be disciplined.
“Just like the minister of health (Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai) who denied Tung Shin was attacked by police, this is a denial that more than one police officer was involved,” Chin added.
In a report made public on Tuesday, the Health Ministry had determined that police acted in an unethical manner and breached SOP when dispersing demonstrators who had converged on the hospital to escape riot police.
The report prompted a statement from Home Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Mahmood Adam that the matter would be referred to the police disciplinary committee.
