Saturday, November 22, 2008

What are we doing about Lourdes Mary?

Have we forgotten Lourdes Mary ...

Why are they (them Pakatan Rakyat MPs,...DAP, PKR, PAS...) not taking up this issue of Lourdes Mary?

It may not be Anwar Ibrahim or some other 'famous' personality - but Lourdes Mary is a human being - and all concerned persons must demand an explanation from the police ...from the Home Minister...the Prime Minister...the Government...

We do not want a repeat of this in modern Malaysia.

hindraf kajang magistrate 241008 lourdes mary faintedDuring the remand hearing, one of the female detainee, Lourdes Mary, fainted in court while explaining the lock-up condition to the magistrate.

According to Surendran, the detainee is a diabetic and her legs have swollen twice the size as she was unable to obtain insulin since her detention yesterday.

“I have never seen this kind of neglect in court before,” lamented the lawyer.

Meanwhile, another legal team member M Manogaran criticised the police for demanding lawyers to register themselves before entering the court building and for barring journalists from entering the complex. - Malaysiakini, 24/10/2008 Child, mother freed, 10 remanded
That incident was also reported in the Star,

At around noon, there was a minor commotion when Lourdes Mary, who is believed to be suffering from diabetes, fainted in the midst of remand proceedings and had to be carried out of the courtroom into a nearby car to be taken to the Putrajaya Hospital. - Star, 24/10/2008 -Ten Hindraf supporters remanded for three days (updated) Source: Earlier Posting

I believe that what happened to Lourdes Mary is very very serious - and it warrants even a Royal Commission of Inquiry, with the mandate:-

a) To Investigate the Lourdes Mary incident, and determine whether the police are criminally liable OR were negligent in the performance of their duty;

b) To look at the state of healthcare in Malaysian Police Lock-Ups, with the object of setting standards, proposing improvements and reforms, etc..

Every single day hundreds and thousands end up being arrested and detained in police lock-ups all over the country. They all will face healthrisks - and maybe even death - because the police have the required mechanisms or 'responsibility' to ensure that health of detainees are given the utmost priority.

Lourdes Mary could have become another Death in Custody case - because the failure to get certain medijcation or the required standard of healthcare may result in death.

I am shocked at the lack of response on this matter (noting of course there was a lot of response when the lawyer responsible was being 'harrassed') ....we have to now focus on Lourdes Mary...

From an earlier posting - but still relevant...

Why are the Human Rights group not making this an issue of importance?

Why is SUHAKAM not saying or doing anything about this matter?

Why is the Malaysian Bar silent on the matter?

She was arrested by the police and kept in a police lock-up ...her legs allegedly had swollen because she did not get her insulin. While in court she fainted and had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance...I believe, that this is a very serious matter,...and she could even have died... and become just another statitic of persons who died in police custody.

The matter seem to have disappeared... Is this yet another matter that will be swept under the carpet - and hopefully forgotten..




2 comments:

joenathan said...

Yes suhakam has a moral responsibility to take up this case which I feel is a serius violation of basic human rights,which could have led to death as diabetic complication is a medical emergency which could lead to brain damage and even death.All human rights defenders including NGOs too has a responsibility here.By the way where are those vocal `anak bangsa malaysias',who never fail to accuse Hindraf as racist in Harris Ibrahim's blog,why cant they as true non-racist anak bangsa Malaysia start the ball rolling by coming to the defend of this poor and ordinary lady who had to endure all those sufferings in the police station as a criminal and denied medical care?This goes to Harris Ibrahim too,the champion of anak bangsa malaysia who hardly writes on such genuine cases.Hope he blogs on this case and I want to see what our anak bangsa malaysias have to say.

Samuel Goh Kim Eng said...

YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO & NOT WHAT YOU CLAIM TO BE

It's indeed a sad and cruel tragedy
When a person in remand is held in 'indefinite' custody
Without being given any suitable or sufficient health remedy
While the nation takes pride in being a loving and 'Caring Society'

(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 231108
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Sun. 23rd Nov. 2008.