Tribute to Allahyarham Baharudin... a casualty of 9th July

This is not an ending that any party wanted but He gives us life, He too can take out life... for he is God Almighty...

Yes, an estimated 50,000 Malaysians of all ages and all races joined hands on 9th July 2011 demanding for a fair and clean election. It doesn't matter when the MSM and the police said it was only 5,000 rallied for Bersih 2.0. It seems that the police could not count more than 5,000, maybe the whole force needs to go for Arithmetic refresher course on how to count and tally... Why? This scribe was there and looking at the crowd, it is safe for me to say that the crowd was above 30,000.

But this posting is not about how many turn up for Bersih 2.0. This posting is also not about why Bersih 2.0 is needed nor about the mistakes make by both Bersih 2.0 organisers in planning their route or how the police bungled in handling the crowd around Puduraya and Tung Shin hospital nor it is about how the police "gave face" to Patriots up to the stage that the Patriots physically attacked FRU's defense. No, that is already in the past. This posting is about a tribute to Allahyarham Baharudin, maybe the first casualty of Bersih 2.0 rally...

As early as 9th July 2011 itself, online news picked up reports of Allahyarham Baharudin's death. Whilst those who attended him claimed that Allahyarham succumbed to FRU's teargas, Amar Singh claimed that Baharudin suffered chest pain and had difficulty in breathing when the doctors failed to resuscitate him.

This is not about finding a scapegoat nor is it about passing the buck. There are questions need to be answered and answered truthfully. Yes, Allahyarham Baharudin is part of Bersih 2.0 rally goers who intended to march to Stadium Merdeka. That's a known fact as his friends mentioned that.

However, the question that is now lingering in my mind is the post mortem report. I understand that one of his daughter is a doctor in a hospital in Kuala Lumpur (HKL) and I am sure she too want answers. The post mortem was conducted on 9th July 2011 in HKL BUT why is the post mortem results still not out yet?

The family is asking why is the post mortem report not out as some of his close relatives are claiming :-

1. 4 broken ribs;
2. 3 broken tooth;
3. Allahyarham do not suffer from asma, diabetes or have history of heart problem;
   

Allahyarham's daughter (a doctor) is also working in HKL where the post mortem was conducted but why is she denied access to the preliminary post mortem reports? Normally (although it is not regulatory), the hospitals will allow some leeway and allow relatives to view the post mortem reports before it is properly typed out. Why is it different this time around?

Allahyarham Baharudin is a Muslim and since it is a practise to bury the dead as early as possible, I guessed Allahyarham Baharudin's family performed the burial ceremony although there are questions that need answers. I am sure if this happened to somebody else, there will be calls for 2nd post mortem to determine the cause of death.

Whatever, if Allahyarham was indeed victimised and physically harmed on 9th July 2011, let those who caused his death answer in the hereafter. Will their conscious let them sleep peacefully at nights knowing that they might be the one responsible for Allahyarham Baharudin's death?

Some may say "Is his death worth the cause?" Yes, for what Allahyarham Baharudin is asking is for a fair and clean election. Is that too much to ask? Some might say that "then get yourself a permit and get rally in stadium" - that too has been asked for but those in power seems to pass the bucks around and nobody wants to take responsibility eventhough Bersih 2.0 organisers met with HRH YDP Agung and agreed to rally in stadium (Merdeka stadium). Instead, what did the authorities do? They come up with detours and dead ends to deny Bersih 2.0 their basic right to voice out their demands.

Unfortunately, in some of the online portals this scribe is saddened by the attitude of some commentators who felt that "that's suppose to happen to Allahyarham Baharudin". These commentators are insensitive to reality and let their fingers do the typing without thinking. We may differ in views but we have to respect life.

I did not know Allahyarham Baharudin, either personally nor did I recall meeting him in any of the rallies. Yet, at this time and moment my thoughts are with his family... let's wait for the post mortem and if the reports looks fishy, give Allahyarham Baharudin's family the rights to decide whether to go for second autopsy or not. Amar Singh just could not sweep everything under the carpet. It has been proven that he lied through his teeth when he denied that the FRU shot canisters of tear gas into Tung Shin's compound. I pray that Amar Singh will not be KL's police chief, at least not on the merit of him handling 9th July 2011 Bersih 2.0 rally.

For those Muslims reading this post, please do spare a minute to sedekah Al fatihah to Allahyarham Baharudin and to those non-Muslims, please spare a minute of your precious time to think of what's going on in Malaysia...

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are...