By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
June 14, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — Parliament has rejected an emergency motion to discuss the death of Ahmad Sarbaini, with Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee saying that the matter was “not urgent” as an inquest will be taking place.
“Parliament has decided that there is no urgency to debate this motion … as an inquest on the matter will be heard on July 4-15 … the motion is hereby rejected,” said Kiandee.
Veteran opposition leader Lim Kit Siang said last week he wanted Parliament to discuss the death of the Customs officer, following allegations that the MACC was trying to tarnish the Customs man’s name.
Lim had given notice to Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin to move a motion today during Parliament, and added that motion for debate will focus on Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s claims of a conspiracy.
An inquest into Sarbaini’s death will be held from July 4 to July 15.
Sarbaini, 56, was found dead on the badminton court of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) building in Jalan Cochrane on April 6 at about 10.20am, barely two hours after walking in.
His death, which occurred while the Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission of Inquiry was still ongoing, came as a huge blow to the anti-graft body’s already battered credibility.
Teoh, a DAP aide, fell to his death at the then-Selangor MACC office on July 16, 2009. An 18-month inquest returned an open verdict, ruling out both suicide and homicide in Teoh’s death.
The police have recommended an inquest be held for Sarbaini and the Attorney-General has agreed but Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers have criticised the idea, citing Teoh’s case as reason to back their doubts.
Police filed an application for an inquest at the Jalan Duta court complex on June 3.
Coroner Aizatul Akmal Maharani said today the Sarbaini inquest would be heard at the magistrate’s court here.
Ahmad Sarbaini was among those detained by MACC on April 1 during a graft probe involving Customs officers who allegedly caused the Government to lose RM2.2bil in under-declared taxes.
He had been released on bail but went to the MACC building, apparently to change his statement.
Raja Petra, in a post on his Malaysia Today website yesterday, claimed the police had conducted a thorough check on Sarbaini’s assets and found no unusual or extraordinary wealth. He has also accused MACC of trying to tarnish Sarbaini’s name following his death.
MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed has reiterated that an inquest will answer allegations into the death of the Customs officer.
#1 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 14 June 2011 - 3:12 pm
What about Johor Immigration Department’s accounting on why two Singaporean women were made to do squats in the nude? What is it with these people in authority? In 2005 there were complaints from two Chinese female citizens about being stripped, having their breasts groped, and being forced to do squats and DAP’s Teresa Kok accompanied one of them to lodge a police report and later was given a video compact disc (VCD) by an anonymous whistle-blower that contained a video depicting a female police officer ordering a female detainee, now identified as Hemy Hamisa Abu Hassan Saari, do ear squats in the nude.
#2 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 14 June 2011 - 3:15 pm
Ask them in parliament whether it is of public interest and urgency to enquire why some authorities in power have this fetish of making women detainees hold their ears and do squats in nude aas happened recently to the 2 Singaporean women? What they hope will drop out?
#3 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 14 June 2011 - 3:29 pm
Why they don’t do it – this nude Ketuk ketampi – to men detainees? Only women? Whats the psycholgy – is it to humiliate by stripping away their dignity, since a woman squatting (with legs spread) nude is symbol of sexual receptivity or a pose of giving birth due to that receptivity or what? Why are the women groups slow in raising their voices on this?
#4 by sheriff singh on Tuesday, 14 June 2011 - 3:40 pm
It is totally in compliance with the 1Malaysia concept, the Rukun Negara, the Transformation Plan, the KPIs, MAMPU, the Iskandar Region Plan and so forth.
Besides, it fully complies with the Customs Department Clients Charter:
BERLUNASKAN UNDANG-UNDANG
TEPAT DALAM MEMBUAT KEPUTUSAN
MENEPATI MASA YANG DIJANJIKAN
LAYANAN MESRA DAN ADIL
It is also terbilang, cemerlang and gembilang.