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Y.B. Dato' Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein
Menteri Dalam Negeri
Kementerian Dalam Negeri
Blok D1 & D2, Kompleks D
Pusat Pentadbiran
Kerajaan Persekutuan
62546 Putrajaya

Dear Y.B. Dato’ Seri,

Re: Dr. Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj

We, members of the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations,  Malaysia, representing more than 5000 doctors nationwide are writing to your kind office to consider our appeal for the release of the above-named doctor.

We are extremely concerned at the continued detention of our colleague, Dr. Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, whom we all recognize and acknowledge as a law-abiding, competent, kind and diligent doctor. His public service record is exemplary and to the very best of our knowledge he is certainly not a threat to our society.
 
Dr. Jeyakumar comes from an illustrious family with an undying passion for loyal public service to Malaysia. Tan Sri Professor Emeritus T J Danaraj, his uncle, was the founding dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Malaya.  His father, Dato’ Seri Dr. T P Devaraj, was a long serving senior consultant physician at the Penang Hospital and is presently continuing his charitable work by being head of Hospice Penang. 

Dr Jeyakumar himself has been known for his social work since his days as a medical student when he volunteered his time giving tuition to poor children from squatter and estate families.  He subsequently served with the Ministry of Health spending considerable time in rural postings all over the country and selflessly serving the rakyat. Even in his present private practice, Dr. Jeyakumar’s patients come mainly from the underprivileged and lower socio-economic class. He is well known for his capacity for charity and kindness for all under his care regardless of ethnicity and religion.

Examination of his track record will thus clearly testify that this good doctor has dedicated his entire career in continuing his family tradition of meritorious public service for the sick and the poor of this country. Such manifestation of immense social conscience and the highest ethical professional duty to the country should be honored. His loyalty and dedication for the welfare of the rakyat of Malaysia is incomparably beyond reproach and beyond question.

In his career as a Member of Parliament, he ran his campaign honorably and peacefully. He is not known to advocate anything that is illegal or unlawful. This is a man of integrity who is law-abiding and honest. He is widely loved by his patients and the rakyat and we would like to move our appeal based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

Yang Berhormat Dato’ Seri, it is with trepidation that we, as fellow doctors are writing to vouch for Dr. Michael Jeyakumar’s loyalty to the nation, a true Doctor dedicated to the welfare of his patients and an Honorable Member of Parliament.  Indeed it would be a great loss to the nation to deny him his freedom and to deprive the country of his services and the thousands of patients that so desperately need his care and expertise as their doctor and chest physician.
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We, the undersigned appeal to Yang Berhormat to use your good office and kind inherent discretion to have the detention order against Dr. Michael Jeyakumar lifted which will go a long way to show your strong objective leadership.

Likewise, we also appeal to your good office to extend this kind gesture to any others who have been detained under similar circumstances. Yang Berhormat, in exercising your favorable discretion under these present difficult circumstances, the Rakyat will no doubt respond positively to your political acumen and astuteness.

We believe that his release would be received with great joy by the rakyat as it will testify that under Yang Berhormat’s watch, our Government is indeed capable of being fair, caring and wise.

Signed by:

Dr. Steven KW Chow
President
Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia

And on behalf of:

• Council, Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations, Malaysia
• President and Members of Council of:
        Private Medical Society of Kedah / Perlis
        Penang Medical Practitioners’ Society
        Perak Medical Practitioners’ Society
        Private Medical Practitioners’ Association of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur
        Private Medical Practitioners Society, Pahang
        Private Medical Practitioners’ Society, Sarawak