Bersih 2.0 protesters not violent, says doctor

The Star
by SHAUN HO

KUALA LUMPUR: Bersih 2.0 protesters who assembled outside the Tung Shin Hospital were neither aggressive nor destructive, a doctor at the hospital told the Suhakam public inquiry.

Gynaecologist Dr Ng Kwee Boon, who was working on July 9 last year, said he was watching the demonstration from the staff car park before he was forced to leave the area because of the tear gas.

He said he walked to the main building before a second round of tear gas was fired.

He added that he could smell tear gas while at the main building but did not see where the tear gas canisters had landed.

“I was told that a tear gas canister landed on the ground near the hostel,” said Dr Ng, who sketched a diagram of the hospital and its surroundings to show where the protesters were and where the tear gas canister landed.

He also said he saw two protesters being arrested and beaten by police officers who had entered the hospital compound.

“I feel that they used excessive force and that they were punishing the protesters,” he told the inquiry.

The inquiry also questioned Dang Wangi OCPD ASP Mohamad Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman, who was field officer of the Dataran Merdeka area during the demonstration.

He said he did not give the order for the men to be sent to Jalan Pudu but said his superiors from the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters could supersede his authority on that day.

Asked if he was in communication with any police unit in the Tung Shin Hospital and Pudu area, Mohamad Zulkarnain said he had sent one ASP Karthikayan to monitor the vicinity.

“My orders were to control Dataran Merdeka only. I was ordered to go to KLCC but I did not follow those orders as there would be nobody controlling Dataran Merdeka. I did not receive any other orders to go anywhere else,” he said.

On Wednesday, the inquiry questioned ASP Ahmad Halimi Hamidi, who was in charge of the FRU personnel at the hospital.

ASP Ahmad said he was ordered by ASP Karthik to fire the water cannon to disperse protesters despite telling Karthik there was a hospital nearby.

The inquiry will resume on Monday at 2.15pm at the Suhakam office in Menara TH Perdana here.