The Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the death of Teoh Beng Hock submitted its report to the Yang di Pertuan Agong yesterday, three days ahead of its deadline of June 25.

The RCI Chairman Tan Sri James Foong told a press conference yesterday that a copy of the 124-page report had also been submitted to the Prime Minister.

However, the contents of the report will remain secret, pending a decision from the Yang di Pertuan Agong if the report should be made public.

This means, under Article 39 on “Executive Authority of Federation” and Article 40 on “Yang di Pertuan Agong to act on advice” of the Federal Constitution, the Yang di Pertuan Agong shall act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet on the question of making public the RCI report on the death of Teoh Beng Hock.

As in another 23 days it will be the second anniversary of Teoh Beng Hock’s mysterious and unusual death at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16, 2011, the Cabinet should not sit on the Teoh Beng Hock RCI report but must act responsibly by releasing it immediately to the public tomorrow itself in line with the principles of accountability, transparency and good governance.

I also call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to agree to a full debate in Parliament on the RCI report on Teoh Beng Hock before Parliament adjourns its June meeting next Thursday on 30th June 2011.

If there are logistic problems in making the Teoh Beng Hock RCI report public tomorrow, I would ask the Prime Minister to agree to make a copy available to me tomorrow so that I can prepare a motion for debate on the RCI report to be submitted to the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin tomorrow or latest by Monday.