“I hereby plead for the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Malaysia, Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun, to look into this matter personally in the best interest of all parties concerned to see to it that the truth prevails”
THE THIRD FORCE
David Marshel s/o Pakianathan is the DAP’s organizing secretary for the Batu Kawan Parliamentary constituency. He is a councilor with the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) and has on several occasions championed the rights of parents said to have been aggrieved by the actions of school auhorities.
On the 17th of March 2015, the DAP man looked on as Jellinah Swari and her husband, Dinesh Raja, displayed to newsmen injuries suffered by their Year One son who was allegedly beaten and dragged around the school compound. On the 9th of August 2017, he related to a press conference how a school teacher had allegedly struck and kicked a 9-year old boy for playing with his friend in an unattended classroom.
In all these instances, Marshel appeared to identify himself as an MPSP councillor who was seeking justice from the relevant authorities. But when it came to M. Vasanthapiriya, things were different. On Thursday, the 1st of February 2018, the DAP man appeared to represent the family of the late 14-year-old in his capacity as president of the Penang based Malaysian Tamilar Kural (MTK), a non-profit establishment The Malay Mail Online once described as “caring for (the) Indian community.”
But I don’t see how they’re caring.
If they were, Marshel would never have taken a partisan approach by appearing alongside Vasanthapiriya’s family while crying foul. On Thursday, the teen breathed her last following a botched suicide attempt that left her in a coma for two weeks. The DAP man classified the case as murder and questioned if the police and Education Department were attempting to sweep something under the carpet.
“We lodged a police report last week, about four days ago. And yet, till today, we have not heard anything from the Education Department or the police.
“Why the silence? Why have they not responded to queries made by newsmen so far? Are they trying to cover (something) up?
“This is considered a high-profile case. Malaysians are looking at this. (The authorities) must respond and take necessary action,” he was reported by NST Online as saying when met at the Seberang Jaya hospital.
These claims bordered on sedition and served only to stir unrest among members of the Indian community. I don’t see how that constitutes a caring gesture by MTK which, for all intents and purposes, is relatively unheard of. What strikes me as weird is the sudden need for this group to get involved when all the while, the DAP man was going about things as MPSP councillor.
By making such claims, not only did he undermine investigations currently underway, he violated the right of the teacher accused of causing the teen’s death to a fair hearing by presenting investigators with grounds for bias. What’s worse, his outburst may have inspired pro-DAP activists such as Adam Haris to utter derogatory remarks against the accused and the Deputy Minister of Education, Dato’ P. Kamalanathan.
A police report will be lodged against Adam Haris as well
Adam isn’t the only one acting as judge, jury and executioner. Netizens have begun criticizing the Ministry over its alleged inaction and demanded that the teacher be sacked or even put on unpaid leave. Neglecting the principle that “one is innocent until proven guilty,” they seem to be having a gala time ripping the teacher apart in cyber spheres without so much as stopping to think the implications they’re having on the course of justice.
Marshel has to take responsibility for all this.
By accusing the teacher of “killing the teen with malice aforethought or with recklessness manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life,” he did a disservice to the system of justice and the country by knowingly or unknowingly impressing upon our citizens that freedom of speech entails one’s right to slander another at will. Now, it’s been 24 hours since I asked him to back his claims.
Considering he didn’t, I am undertaking to lodge a police report against him later today on two counts – one, for a possible attempt on his part to interfere with the course of justice, and two, for implying that the police may have something to cover up (see news item below). As stated yesterday, my report shall seek an investigation by the police to determine if indeed Vasanthapiriya was murdered as Marshel claimed.
I hereby plead for the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Malaysia, Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun, to look into this matter personally in the best interest of all parties concerned to see to it that the truth prevails.
