'Lame duck' Liow is Umno's running dog!

Prove you’re not a lame-duck minister, Pua tells Liow

By Boo Su-Lyn

July 20, 2011

Pua: It appears that Liow has been forced to rescind the set up of the investigation committee by the Ministry of Health under instructions from his political masters to cover up the incident, prevent an admission of guilt and to stop further embarrassment to the BN government.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — DAP’s Tony Pua challenged Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai today to divulge details of his ministry’s probe into alleged police attacks on Tung Shin Hospital during the Bersih rally. Despite public pressure, the health minister has refused to specify a disclosure time-line, in fact he has not even confirmed if the said committee had been formed and its terms of reference.
 “It appears that Liow has been forced to rescind the set up of the investigation committee by the Ministry of Health under instructions from his political masters to cover up the incident, prevent an admission of guilt and to stop further embarrassment to the Barisan Nasional (BN) government for its clumsy, oppressive and incompetent handling of the Bersih rally, where the sanctity of hospital grounds was desecrated,” said Pua in a statement today.
“If true, then Liow is once again abdicating from his responsibility as the Health Minister by not proactively protecting the hospital and its patients under his care,” added the Petaling Jaya Utara MP.
Liow had ordered an investigation on July 14 after 11 medical specialists wrote to the media, refuting the hospital board and police’s claims that no gas canisters or water cannon were fired directly into the hospital compound.
He had initially agreed with the city hospital, but then ordered the probe stating that patient security and hospital safety was paramount.
City police also announced on July 16 that it was looking into the incident which occurred as tens of thousands poured into the streets of the capital, resulting in the death of a protestor, scores injured, and nearly 1,700 arrests.
Police have also been accused of excessive force in crowd dispersal.
Pua, however, doubted the police’s impartiality pointing out that the police could charge potential witnesses should they come forward to testify.
The DAP man urged Liow to immediately reveal details of the health ministry’s investigation committee that was promised to be “open and transparent”.
“Otherwise, he has certainly become a lame-duck Minister who has lied and broken his promises one too many times, proving a disgrace to his position as both the Minister of Health and the deputy president of MCA,” said Pua.