[NST] Teoh Beng Hock's family wants Pornthip's safety guaranteed
KUALA LUMPUR: Teoh Beng Hock's family wants the government to guarantee the safety of Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunan so that she would be able to appear at the inquest on April 20.
Teoh's sister, Lee Lan, said she hoped Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would keep the promise he made when he met with the family last year.
"He told us the government would do its best to find the truth about my brother's death.
"It was not an easy decision for us to exhume my brother's body for a second autopsy and it was especially tough for my parents.
"But we made the decision because of Dr Pornthip's testimony that Beng Hock may have been tortured and strangled," she told reporters at Parliament yesterday.
Lee Lan hoped the matter would be resolved soon as the family was eager to see the inquest through as soon as possible.
"We do not want the inquest to end with a question mark. It is scheduled to resume on April 20, which is also Beng Hock's birthday."
Also present at the press conference were Teoh's parents, Teoh Leong Hwee and Teng Shuw Hor, Serdang member of parliament Teo Nie Ching and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.
Dr Pornthip had told an online news website that she would be willing to testify at the inquest if her safety here was guaranteed.
On Sunday, she had said she would not testify due to political pressure from the Malaysian government.
Dr Pornthip had reportedly said the Thai foreign ministry received "signals" from the Malaysian government through "informal channels", suggesting that her presence at the inquest would not be welcomed.
Taken from The New Straits Times.
Malaysian Bar Council 
