The authorities concerned should learn from the unsatisfactory outcome in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest and have a Royal Commission of Inquiry straightaway into senior Customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamad’s death – second fatal fall-from-height incident at MACC premises in the short history of MACC.
The conduct of the MACC, the police, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Cabinet have been most unsatisfactory to date – taking two long months for the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers to recommend that an inquest be held.
Clearly, the inquest proposal is strongly opposed by the MACC, which had right from the beginning disclaimed any responsibility for Sarbaini’s death – just as it had disclaimed responsibility for Teoh Beng Hock’s mysterious death falling from 14th floor of MACC hqrs at Shah Alam on July 16, 2009 – even suggesting that Sarbaini had committed suicide, just like in Teoh Beng Hock’s case: that Beng Hock committed suicide, or “honour suicide” and even making the outrageous suggestion that DAP had murdered Beng Hock at the MACC hqrs!
MACC investigations director Datuk Mustafar Ali had said Ahmad Sarbaini returned to the MACC building at 8.26am on April 6 without an appointment and had requested to meet the investigation officer without stating why.
The 56-year-old was found dead on the rooftop of the MACC building’s badminton court on the first floor on April 6 at about 10.20am, barely two hours after walking into the MACC office on Jalan Cochrane here.
Sarbaini’s family and friends have claimed it was impossible that he had committed suicide over the MACC investigations.
Ahmad Sarbaini’s family have expressed dissatisfaction with police investigations and claim his death is being covered up. They have also threatened to sue the MACC if police investigations into his death do not favour the family.
The very fact that the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers are proposing an inquest into Sarbaini’s death is another public slap-in-the-face for MACC and the latest development causing unchecked plunge in loss of public confidence in the efficiency, independence, integrity and professionalism of MACC in its two-and-a-half-year history.
As illustrated by the proceedings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh Beng Hock’s death, an RCI into Sarbaini’s is clearly not the best or most satisfactory solution – but definitely a better option than an inquest.
The Cabinet next Wednesday should take the bold decision to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Sarbaini’s death, all aspects of MACC investigation methods and procedures, instead of dilly-dallying with an even more unsatisfactory inquest solution.
#1 by rubini on Friday, 3 June 2011 - 7:46 pm
Dear Sdr LKS,
This is Washington Post article which highlights how activist in INDIA are using Right To Information Act to hold their elected representative.
Please if possible reprint this article into your blog.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/indias-activists-keep-tabs-on-politicians-performances/2011/05/26/AGhQrgGH_story_1.html
#2 by pulau_sibu on Friday, 3 June 2011 - 10:09 pm
Are Chinese and Vietnamese government dead or blind? How can they allow their women be treated as Babi? May be Lim Guang Eng will be in trouble on his way to China….
X-marks and chains for suspects rile rights groups
A recent vice raid in Penang sparked another bout of controversy over police conduct as civil society groups decry the way 30 foreign women were chained up and marked with pens after they were detained for alleged prostitution.
#3 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Friday, 3 June 2011 - 11:47 pm
YB LKS, can we have a thread on the TNB scandal? There is so much hullabaloo now that TNB has raised its tariffs. The people are screaming “bloody murder!”.
O Mahathir, O Mahathir, what have been done in secret (IPP PPAs) are now being exposed from cyber-tops and chimney-tops. The cock has finally come home to roost. It’s a lesson for all aspiring politicians that the evil that politicians do will live after them. And so their reputation will wallow in the mud albeit 30 years or 50 years or 70 years down the lane.
So shall all politicians live and work with the fear of God in their souls and so walk circumspectly.
#4 by sheriff singh on Saturday, 4 June 2011 - 1:13 am
So the EPU has been branded “Economic Plundering Unit” by Ani Arope, the former TNB Chairman?
Is this how the EPU operates? How much have they plundered by raising the price to be paid to the IPPs?
It looks like the EPU is a politically motivated machine that has got nothing to do with economic planning. All their plans favour cronies. Who were the heads of the EPU at the relevant times? Who heads it now?
Mahathir, Mahathir. As time goes by we learn more and more of your tricks.
RCI ! RCI ! RCI !
#5 by waterfrontcoolie on Saturday, 4 June 2011 - 6:14 am
Now we all understand what is ” Negotiated Tender”. We may be the only nation in the world that puts all corrupt practices under the sanctuary of an official act. And we Malayisans happily reelected the architect of that ACT as the Modern Father of Development for over 20 years! See how smart we are! When a previous late EPU head was asked to speak at its anniversary celebration many years ago, you could read the bitterness in his intontation of his speech. [ I forgot his name, though i was mentioned some where in this blog]. Of copurse the ISA Act was and is a Master Piece, as no one can say anything without being entrapped by it. From the outside no one can cahnge it, it can only be done once you are ‘inside’. But only when ALL Malaysians acting together can get ‘inside’ to send that piece of Act to hell; otherwise every corrupt practices will saty hidden within its folds!
#6 by yhsiew on Saturday, 4 June 2011 - 8:07 am
Malaysians have long lost confidence in the efficiency, independence, integrity and professionalism of MACC in its two-and-a-half-year history. I personally think the MACC is worse off than its predecessor ACA.
#7 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 4 June 2011 - 8:08 am
Honestly, I find it disturbing there is not more outrage over Sarbani than over TBH death. Similarly, there seem to be more outrage over Kugan death than Aminulrasyid. You have to ask if the non-bumis are more concern for institutional and systematic health than bumiputeras and even if so to such extreme degree?. It seems they rather get more outraged over price increases than they are over the death of one of their own.
I get it that rural Malays concept of importance of proper governance is weak but surely such basic ideas of violence, crime, is NOT foreign even in villages and how it can destroy everything?
Maybe Mahathir has done his work too well, that he has suceeded in draging the Malays into the modern age of over- peroccupation with ones own’s personal material and well-being over others to the exclusion of much else.
#8 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 4 June 2011 - 8:11 am
///Mahathir, Mahathir. As time goes by we learn more and more of your tricks. RCI ! RCI ! RCI !/// – sheriff singh.
I support the call. The RCI is becoming popular. (Shouldn’t be limited to enquire into “sudden deaths” of Sarbaini & Teoh Beng Hock!
It is a matter of public importance. We are squeezed and forced to pay higher tariffs to TNB (a monopoly). No choice: its billing very prompt and it will cut supply if you’re late in payment. Thats because according to Ani Arope TNB is forced to pay higher tariffs to IPP because of what Ani described as “Economic Plundering Unit” (“EPU”) directly under the man whom the Times when covering Asia’s Newsmakers of 1998, dubbed on its front cover as the Father of Modern development! The country is now getting the full brunt of the fall out of his policies – tangible like rise in tariff hikes, intangible like racial & religious polarisation of a level unprecedented before his era!
#9 by monsterball on Saturday, 4 June 2011 - 8:28 am
MACC building seems to be a venue for some people to go there and commit sucide.
#10 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 4 June 2011 - 8:29 am
Do Sarawakians have to suffer this 7.12 per cent hike in electricity rates by TNB? S’wak is independent of TNB as it is supplied by Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB), 65% owned by the State Financial Secretary Sarawak under CM Peh Moh, 4% EPF. Doesn’t SEB consistently on average make more profit after tax/zakat? I understand that Sarawak government has exclusive rights to get supply from the Bakun hydroelectric dam’s power at a rate of 6.25 sen/kWh lower than the 14 to 16 sen charged by IPP to TNB. Are Sarawakians spared from this hike in tariffs that Semenanjung have to bear?
#11 by monsterball on Saturday, 4 June 2011 - 8:40 am
It is as if.. all suspects knew they will be tortured to the extreme and cannot take it….so better commit sucide…less painful.
It is….as if Malaysians are so weak…cannot stand being questioned or suffer at all.
It reminds me like WW2…suspects take their own lives and avoid Japanese tortures..in Malaya.
Anwar Ibrahim suffered the most tortures….yet he is still alive and healthy.
Push him over…all hell will go looses.
MACC sure know how to pick defendless and poor souls to enjoy their death games.
#12 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Saturday, 4 June 2011 - 9:28 am
Sarbaini, TBH……who is next to commit suicide?
Any more “Kugan” wants to commit suicide so that the whole circus becomes multi-racial?
#13 by drngsc on Saturday, 4 June 2011 - 9:33 am
Hi Kit,
No point for RCI. There is no justice here. My apologies to Mrs Sarbaini. Mr Sarbaini will be remembered as the man who did not submit to corruption, and paid the price, like TBH. His legacy lives on, and we will remember him as one person in the step to a better Malaysia. He and TBH will not be forgotten.
The only justice is to change this government, and restore the integrity of the police / MACC and the courts.
We need to change the present tenant at Putrajaya
#14 by boh-liao on Saturday, 4 June 2011 - 10:02 am
Dis is Y UmnoB/BN love 1M’sians – so easy 2 rule n kow tim, even though d rakyat hv been raped n sodomised by UmnoB/BN since independence
Most rakyat kept voting 4 UmnoB/BN, so syiok 4 UmnoB/BN
Yesterday NR spoke in Sg: “D way ahead, I hv no doubt, must b built on cooperation n not on confrontation – n 4 dat, every region, every country, every leader here 2day must play their part”
He lagi said, embrace China: “China should b engaged in a positive n constructive manner n not seen as an adversary”
Wah lah, really jiak beh liao, NR truly transformed himself fr a racist guy who raised his keris n screamed 4 Chinese blood not too long ago, n governs dis nation by divide n rule
NR pandai CON without shame international leaders
At d current rate of economic hardship experienced by rakyat, don’t b surprised more n more ppl may earn extra $ 2 survive by doing some novel jobs: wombs 4 rent as surrogate mothers n selling of organs to customers fr rich nations
Meanwhile d Polygamy Club n d Obedient Wife Club of M’sia will keep Muslims happy
Wonder if d first big fat lady of M’sia is d founder president of d Obedient Wife Club of M’sia, 2 keep her hubby happy n forget d evil deeds dat he did?
#15 by Loh on Saturday, 4 June 2011 - 10:32 am
That is why Mamakthir lives on. He will be gone soon now that IPP becomes a hot topic, and the agreement cannot be state secret any more. He would nt be around for GE 13.