Speech by DAP Organising Secretary and Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka, Mr. Lim Kit Siang at the 8th DAP Public Rally at Kubu Stadium on Tuesday, 29th April 1969 at 9 p.m.;
Warning to Dato Tan Cheng Swee and Malacca Alliance: DAP will launch a Malacca-wide signature campaign for reform to Malacca General Hospital if call for public inquiry into the death of Choo Heng Hwa is unheeded and ignored
Speaking at a DAP Public Rally at Bachang Chew Loy, Malacca, a week ago, I called for a public inquiry into the unnecessary death of a Form Four pupil of St. David School, one Choo Heng Hwa.
Choo met with an accident last month, and was immediately taken to the Malacca General Hospital by his parents. The medical officer on duty examined him, and sent him home with the assurance that there was nothing wrong with him. The medical officer also rejected pleas of the boy’s parent to admit him into hospital for observation.
The next day, the boy’s condition worsened. The parent again took him to hospital, but he was not immediately attended to. The boy died subsequently.
This is a serious case involving the unnecessary loss of an innocent life. People go to hospitals to get their health recovered, and not to die. There is clearly negligence in this case, and it deserve high-level attention and interest, because it is important that immediate steps are taken to prevent recurrence of similar cases – where the sick and wounded are killed and not cured in hospitals.
I have called for a public inquiry into this case, but up to date, none of the Alliance leaders in Malacca, whether Chief Minister, or Dato Tan Cheng Swee, the self-nominated President of Malacca Municipality, or Mr. Koh Kim Leng, Alliance Parliamentary Candidate for Bandar Melaka, has said a single word.
Is it because the Chief Minister, Dato Tan Cheng Swee and Mr. Koh Kim Leng do not care whether the poor people live or die, suffer pain or humiliation? If they do not care, then they don’t deserve the people’s support whatsoever.
I want to warn Dato Tan Cheng Swee and the Malacca Alliance leaders that unless within the next few days, they give a satisfactory explanation to the public on this case, and institute a public inquiry, we in the DAP will launch a Malacca wide signature campaign to demand for thorough reform of the Malacca General Hospital and for a public inquiry into the unfortunate death of Choo.
If the government will not move, then the people must move first, and we in the DAP will undertake to mobilize public opinion and strength to bring about change and improvement in Malacca General Hospital.