PothePanda declared “sane” by IMH
From the Newsroom Team
In a stunning development of the ongoing PothePanda (Gary Tan) case, Gary’s medical report from IMH in 2006 confirmed that he has “no mental illness.” (read Chia Ti Lik’s account here)
On 3rd June, DPP John Loo had instructions to apply for Gary to be remanded in the IMH for 3 weeks on the basis that he is delusional in his blog postings and that he had been allegedly remanded in IMH before in 2006. (read article here)
Gary would have been thrown into IMH if not from strong objections from his lawyer Chia Ti Lik who was representing him.
Nevertheless, this does not dissuade the DPP again from attempting to apply for Gary to be thrown into IMH for his “own good”.
According to a post on pothepanda’s blog:
“DJ Soh rejected the application and stated that since IMH medical report found me NO MENTAL ILLNESS, he does not see any reason for me to be thrown into IMH.
However, DJ Soh apparently advised Mr Chia to get me to self-admit into IMH or be an outpatient there,to cover myself. DJ Soh then made a very strange offer to Mr Chia. According to Mr Chia, DJ Soh told Mr Chia,”Mr Chia, if your client has no money, he can apply for me to put him into IMH for free.”
[Source: PothePanda]
The arbitariness and readiness displayed by non medical professionals to commit a suspect to IMH on very flimsy grounds is a travesty of his rights as a citizen of the state.
What if Gary was really sent to IMH back in June then? Will he be compensated by the state now that it is revealed that there are no medical grounds for his admission in the first place?
IMH has a strict set of criteria for admission. The few instances when admission is seriously considered are:
1. Patient is at high risk of suicide or deliberate self-harm if not admitted.
2. Acute psychosis where the patient is deemed to be a threat to the lives of himself and others.
3. Severe depression in which the patient refuses any food or drinks.
[Source: http://wayangparty.com/?p=10078]
Since Gary has been diagnosed as not having mental illness at all by the IMH psychiatrist in 2006 and he was never on follow up with any psychiatrists, any aspersions cast deliberately on his mental capacity to stand for trial can be considered defamatory in nature.
Gary’s case bears uncanny similarities to the pending Anwar Sodomy II case in Malaysia. Medical reports obtained from two hospitals show that Anwar’s accuser Saiful was not sodomized at all and yet the state still proceed to prosecute Anwar for sodomy.
The strong presence of the alternative media in Malaysia has ensured a certain degree of transparency and accountability in Anwar’s trial. PothePanda’s case was not even warranted a mention in the local newspapers.
The truth behind the PothePanda saga may never be out because it is not in the “interest” of the public to know more about the “modus operandi” of the Singapore’s legal service.
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argh! on Sat, 11th Jul 2009 10:04 am
HAA! DPP John Loo should be the one admitted instead.
Qasey Lin on Sat, 11th Jul 2009 12:04 pm
Dementor of Po the Panda – (DPP) John Poo, visits the meat store “SOOC Butchery”
Thio Su-Mo: Sir, panda meat for you?
John Poo: 1 pound panda meat please. My gift to my beloved IMH director. He rescued me from that scary place.
Thio Su-Mo: Sir, any kangeroo meat?
John Poo: Yes please. 3 pounds of kangeroo meat. Heavy daily consumption in my work-place.
Thio Su-Mo: Sir, we sell pork and beef too, ideal for proselytizing.
John Poo: Next time, for my colleagues maybe? How much?
Thio Su-Mo: Altogether $73. Promotion now, free “Little Bride” and “Chick” comics.
John Poo: Thanks a lot.
XisD Tay on Sat, 11th Jul 2009 9:49 pm
However, DJ Soh apparently advised Mr Chia to get me to self-admit into IMH or be an outpatient there,to cover myself. DJ Soh then made a very strange offer to Mr Chia. According to Mr Chia, DJ Soh told Mr Chia,”Mr Chia, if your client has no money, he can apply for me to put him into IMH for free.”
Fair comment and good advice here. Somehow if perceive correctly, it can be taken to meant well for Panda so that whatever the outcome of the trial or during the trial, if certified sane by IMH, Panda wont spend the rest of his life in IMH waitng for the Prata Man to have sibei good mood.
Panda is on theft charge, something which does not warrant a very lengthly jail time even if convicted (which I am sure 99% he will be). So short term jail better than indefinate IMH.
I sense DJ Soh is trying his best to be fair here since Panda case is not serious enough to warrant any instructions from the “top”, so DJ Soh can excercise fairness whenever possible without fear.
BryanT on Mon, 13th Jul 2009 12:11 am
I agree that the alternative media in Malaysia has provided a useful perspective to Anwar’s sodomy case. But I am doubtful that it has ensured much transparency and accountability in the trial. One simple example is the shift of the case to the High Court which some suspect was politically motivated. But I reserve my comments there.
We have an alternative media here too, and my feel is that the quality as compared to the Msian one is quite similar, ie. patchy. It is very susceptible to innuendos, histronics and occasional relapses to stances which I call “oppose for the sake of opposing”.
Such modus operandi tends to be regarded as noise and hence disregarded. Alas, it also does not lead to respectabilty, hence effectiveness.
As Boxer would say, “I will work harder.”
Zen!
Anon on Mon, 13th Jul 2009 4:01 pm
Remember Boon Suan Ban? http://www.jbjeya.org/JBJ_Press_Statement_June_1_Boon.pdf
Darth Vader on Mon, 13th Jul 2009 4:59 pm
“As Boxer would say, “I will work harder.”
Zen!”
How quaint, given that Boxer in Animal Farm couldn’t handle the truth about the tyranny of the pigs and instead voluntarily chose to delude himself by thinking things will be better if he only worked harder and supported the pigs more.
I guess this proves why BryanT keeps thinking injustice in Singapore is fine: he’s every bit as delusional as Boxer is.
BryanT on Mon, 13th Jul 2009 6:41 pm
Darth, perhaps the joke is not on me.
Zen!
randomnessinmind on Mon, 13th Jul 2009 9:28 pm
I’m going to perhaps raise the white flag soon….Why is every article dotted with posts TELLING US WE ARE WRONG TO CRITICIZE!?
This is very, very, very, very, very, very, very, VERY irritating.
MAKING NOISE IS ALL WE CAN DO! So what if we’re hiding behind anonymity? (Like if I wanted to I wouldn’t be able to trace you down to who you are…NOT) WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT US TO DO? WRITE LETTERS TO OUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD GOVERNORS AND REMIND THEM OF ISSUES THAT NEVER GETS MUCH ATTENTION IN PARLIAMENT?
TAKE A STUPID LIGHTER AND DO SOMETHING STUPID LIKE A CERTAIN OLD MAN WHOM SOME CALLED HERO!? (I condemn all aggressive acts towards another human being) SMASH A CHAIR AT A DOOR? MAKE PHONE THREATS? PERHAPS THROW A SHOE OR TWO DURING LIVE EVENTS?
Look this is getting very tiring…WHAT? TELL ME WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD DO? GIVE ME SOMETHING TO START ON! I WON’T KNOW HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE LIKE THESE HAPPY BECAUSE EVERYTIME WE SAY SOMETHING IS WRONG WE GET REMARKS TELLING US TO KEEP QUIET BECAUSE IT HAPPENS EVERYWHERE ELSE!?
ZOMGWTFBBQIAMGOINGTODESTROYYOLEIINMORTALKOMBATANDCLAIMKENASMYPRIZE
anon on Tue, 14th Jul 2009 8:03 am
it’s very obvious that this is an estiblishment-vs-individual case.
pothepanda had the balls to challenge spf and agc. so the latter is using all its concerted efforts to crash the panda.
sigh! why gahmen liddat one???
bah on Thu, 16th Jul 2009 1:17 am
randomnessinmind:
SO IF I WANT TO SAY THAT I DON’T AGREE WITH THE ARTICLE I MUST KEEP QUIET IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING? THAT ALTERNATE VIEWPOINTS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE ALTERNATE MEDIA? SO PEOPLE LIKE BryanT MUST SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN IF YOU WANT TO MAKE NOISE?
ARE YOU THOSE TELLING THOSE PEOPLE, WHO ARE TELLING YOU TO KEEP QUIET, TO KEEP QUIET?
THIS CAN GET VERY TIRING
XisD Tay on Fri, 17th Jul 2009 12:26 pm
The case of BOON SUAN BAN, the remisier who has been locked up in the Institute of Mental Health, is becoming shrouded in mystery.
It is now reported (ST May 28/ WEEKEND TODAY May 28-29) that no one will be allowed to inspect the pleadings in the suit brought against him by the Chief Justice. The reports do not say who applied for this but it is not to be supposed that the family of Boon applied for it. What were the reasons for the court excluding any public inspection of the pleadings.
Quite apart from this, the continued detention of Boon is very disturbing. Shouldn’t the public be told of the evidence upon which the Senior District Judge decided to lock Boon up even though the IMH had reported that Boon was fit to plead. In
other words that he was in possession of all his faculties to
understand the proceedings. So how can he be of unsound mind.
There has been a complete silence from the courts about the detention of Boon at the IMH.
I wonder what had happened to the family members of Boon, why are they keeping mum on this matter? Have they been ’strongly advised’ to keep their mouth shut or ….
Ashinigami on Sat, 18th Jul 2009 3:11 am
Why exactly is Pot being persecuted? What is the farked up establishment so afraid of him saying that they die die must declare him legally insane so that no one will believe what he has to say??
Tan Yeong Hong on Sat, 18th Jul 2009 5:08 pm
Ashinigami,
http://pothepanda.xanga.com/703351636/police-abuse-cover-upvictim-charged-with-alledged-shoptheft-instead/
http://pothepanda.xanga.com/703923895/030609–police-abuse-in-singapore-exposed-imh-is-singapores-gulag/
XisD Tay on Sat, 18th Jul 2009 7:26 pm
Ashinigami, lets just plainly say that this Panda made a complaint against a ranking officer of Sinkapore’s hush hush department, namely the ISD.
He proceeded to make his complaint and findings PUBLIC.
Get it?
Exposer on Sat, 18th Jul 2009 8:57 pm
That explain it. BOON SUAN BAN must have something about the familee and chief justice.
“BOON SUAN BAN was the remisier of the former Chief Justice of Singapore, Yong Pung How. It appears that he wrote 2 letters to the former judge over some financial matters. Following that, the judge commenced a civil defamation suit. At the same time, the Attorney General commenced a criminal defamation proceeding against Boon. In the criminal proceeding, Boon pleaded guilty. That by itself is a remarkable thing as a guilty plea from a person of unsound mind would be unsafe as a basis upon which to convict the accused. Amazingly though the District Court judge who presided over the criminal proceedings decided not to issue the usual sentences (imprisonment of up to 2 years or fine) but ordered that Boon be detained in a mental facility. The reason? Because he was of unsound mind. In relation to the civil proceedings, the court documents have been sealed. If they were destroyed, there would be under current circumstances any way of knowing that. One wonders how is Boon Suan Ban now? Has anyone spoken to his family members?”