Biological Facts My Foot! Who Is Dennis Madden?

Hantu Laut

I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the article below published in Malaysiakini.

Contamination a major problem with DNA samples

I refer to the Malaysiakini report Prosecutor: We have semen specimens.

To help the average Malaysian understand what will be going on in the second Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trial, I offer the following biological facts:

1. Contamination is the major problem associated with the collection of DNA samples for analysis.

2. The rectal environment is quite antagonistic to material such as semen.

The bacteria and fermentation process that normally occur in the presence of a high-protein soluble substance like semen would be lead to its rapid breakdown.

Especially so when the samples were collected the following day

3. There would be major DNA contamination from the host and from food waste in the rectum.

Plus the possibility that any DNA present would be partly or wholly broken down.

4. The rectum is quite efficient at rapidly rejecting foreign materials

5. Any intelligent man who was married to a doctor would be aware of the HIV risk from casual sex encounters and would be wearing a condom

So what's this about a 'semen sample'?

Anyone with enough common sense would immediately know the true motive of such erroneous and misleading article. A crude attempt to deceive uninitiated Malaysians into believing that Anwar was framed and incapable of committing such offence by presenting so called expert opinion.No background information of Mr Madden was given on his simplistic opinion.

A check on the Internet for Dennis Madden has produced other names but none on DNA expert with such name.

If Mr Madden is truly a DNA expert, surely, through his extensive work in DNA samplings or other DNA related works his name would have appeared on the Internet in his chosen field of work.

Assuming Mr Madden is a DNA expert than he must be a rookie because his pathetic attempt of presenting an expert opinion falls on the wayside.

It is true contamination is a major problem in any forensic work but with latest technological advancement in forensic science and medicine it is not impossible to analyse and separate DNA samples from other contaminants.

Just like in heterosexual intercourse the rectal environment is not against accepting semen or hostile to it if you are gay and practised anal sex.Not as what Mr Madden perceived would be the case in all cases.

The most laughable of Mr Madden's expert opinion is when he says "Any intelligent man who was married to a doctor would be aware of the HIV risk from casual sex encounters and would be wearing a condom"

"So what's this about a 'semen sample"?

What has risky behaviour got to do with your level of education or the kind of spouse you have?

Mr Madden may not know that today DNA can be manufactured in a laboratory and used to falsify DNA evidence but such technology which was first discovered in Israel has not been used elsewhere.They have also developed new test to differentiate real from fake DNA.So, fake DNA goes out of the window, it can be detected.

Malaysiakini, didn't bother to give Mr Madden's background for reason best known to themselves.

Biological facts, my foot! Who are you trying to fool?