UALA LUMPUR: Flamboyant Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunan may be a thorn in the side of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), but in Thailand she is a revered figure. Her latest testimony -- that Teoh Beng Hock did not commit suicide -- has forced the MACC to rethink its strategy in the ongoing inquest into the death of the aide to a Selangor state executive councillor.
Holding her own under MACC counsel Abdul Razak Musa’s badgering on Aug 18, an exasperated Pornthip retorted: “I work for the rights of the dead and not the Selangor government.” This drew loud applause from the packed courtroom and admiration from Malaysians at large.
Harakahdaily recently ran a personality profile of her and quoted a Readers’ Digest survey that found her to be the “most trusted individual in Thailand”.
Readers’ Digest published the survey results in its March 2010 edition.
Below is an excerpt from the Harakahdaily story.
In Pornthip we trust
The survey found that the public's trust in Pornthip exceeded their trust in Phra Ajarn Alongkot Dikkapanyo, the head monk at a Buddhist temple that helps AIDS victims, who ranked second.
The dead may not be able to speak on behalf of Pornthip, but her vast experience and no-nonsense approach to her work has made her one of the most respected figures in Thailand.
Respondents in the Readers’ Digest survey, which was conducted last October, were impressed by her dedication and fearlessness in her fight for justice.
Long before fictitious heroes such as CSI Miami's sergeant Horatio Caine and CSI NY's stern-faced detective Mac Taylor came on the scene to give forensic scientists their long-overdue recognition, Pornthip had already defied the stereotypical portrayal of people in her line of work as nerds locked in their labs in plain white suits.
Her flamboyant, punk-dyed hairstyle and eccentric clothing have, indeed, made her the darling of media photographers.
“I chose to study pathology, which is shunned by most medical students,” she said in a 2001 interview with Thailand Illustrated.
“I intended to work in the government and contribute to solutions to social problems. I am serious with my work. I love justice and fairness, and am very individualistic.
"This is why I made this choice in life.”
Women and pathology
Pornthip feels that women make good pathologists.
“Women are suited to this profession,” she told Thailand Illustrated. “They are meticulous, anxious, picky, and doubting. Such attributes can be turned into assets for the profession."
Born in 1954, Pornthip is today Thailand's most renowned forensic pathologist. She is the director of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, which comes under the Thai Ministry of Justice.
Her expert opinion is often sought by investigators.
During the riots in Bangkok early this year, the Thai government appointed her as a member of the Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situation (CRES), the powerful body which was responsible for handling the brief emergency rule declared in several parts of Thailand.
Her services were also critical during the 2004 tsunami, and in the aftermath of the infamous Tak Bai tragedy in 2004, when 78 Muslims died under army custody following their arrest during a protest against police abuses in southern Thailand.
Pornthip provided damning evidence of military abuse of the detained Muslims, who died of suffocation in the trucks they were stuffed into. Most of them had been fasting.
Although Pornthip is a government appointee, she has no qualms in calling a spade a spade. She has spoken out many times against police abuses and human rights violations.
24/08/10
Holding her own under MACC counsel Abdul Razak Musa’s badgering on Aug 18, an exasperated Pornthip retorted: “I work for the rights of the dead and not the Selangor government.” This drew loud applause from the packed courtroom and admiration from Malaysians at large.
Harakahdaily recently ran a personality profile of her and quoted a Readers’ Digest survey that found her to be the “most trusted individual in Thailand”.
Readers’ Digest published the survey results in its March 2010 edition.
Below is an excerpt from the Harakahdaily story.
In Pornthip we trust
The survey found that the public's trust in Pornthip exceeded their trust in Phra Ajarn Alongkot Dikkapanyo, the head monk at a Buddhist temple that helps AIDS victims, who ranked second.
The dead may not be able to speak on behalf of Pornthip, but her vast experience and no-nonsense approach to her work has made her one of the most respected figures in Thailand.
Respondents in the Readers’ Digest survey, which was conducted last October, were impressed by her dedication and fearlessness in her fight for justice.
Long before fictitious heroes such as CSI Miami's sergeant Horatio Caine and CSI NY's stern-faced detective Mac Taylor came on the scene to give forensic scientists their long-overdue recognition, Pornthip had already defied the stereotypical portrayal of people in her line of work as nerds locked in their labs in plain white suits.
Her flamboyant, punk-dyed hairstyle and eccentric clothing have, indeed, made her the darling of media photographers.
“I chose to study pathology, which is shunned by most medical students,” she said in a 2001 interview with Thailand Illustrated.
“I intended to work in the government and contribute to solutions to social problems. I am serious with my work. I love justice and fairness, and am very individualistic.
"This is why I made this choice in life.”
Women and pathology
Pornthip feels that women make good pathologists.
“Women are suited to this profession,” she told Thailand Illustrated. “They are meticulous, anxious, picky, and doubting. Such attributes can be turned into assets for the profession."
Born in 1954, Pornthip is today Thailand's most renowned forensic pathologist. She is the director of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, which comes under the Thai Ministry of Justice.
Her expert opinion is often sought by investigators.
During the riots in Bangkok early this year, the Thai government appointed her as a member of the Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situation (CRES), the powerful body which was responsible for handling the brief emergency rule declared in several parts of Thailand.
Her services were also critical during the 2004 tsunami, and in the aftermath of the infamous Tak Bai tragedy in 2004, when 78 Muslims died under army custody following their arrest during a protest against police abuses in southern Thailand.
Pornthip provided damning evidence of military abuse of the detained Muslims, who died of suffocation in the trucks they were stuffed into. Most of them had been fasting.
Although Pornthip is a government appointee, she has no qualms in calling a spade a spade. She has spoken out many times against police abuses and human rights violations.
24/08/10
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