By Clara Chooi | July 26, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz today declared his willingness to debate the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into Teoh Beng Hock’s death with Lim Kit Siang.
Through his media officer, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, who is now in London, said he would accept Lim’s offer but suggested that the meeting with the DAP stalwart be held after the fasting month of Ramadan.
In a blog posting yesterday, Lim had slammed Nazri (picture) for saying that the Teoh RCI had absolved the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) of murder charges and called on the minister to justify his stand.
He invited Nazri to do so at a forum tonight entitled “Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission Inquiry Report — Where is the promised truth?” scheduled for 7.30pm at the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall here.
In a Twitter posting this afternoon, Nazri’s aide said: “Nazri Aziz accepted YB Lim Kit Siang’s challenge for a debate as posted on the latter’s fcbk @limkitsiang stil waitng 4 a response from YB.”
The aide added: “Nazri accepted the challenge n suggested the forum is 2 b held after Ramadhan” and explained later that the minister is now in London for the 57th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference which goes on until Thursday.
When contacted, Lim acknowledged the tweet and said he would respond at tonight’s forum.
“I did not use the word ‘debate’… I invited him to the forum tonight to explain his position. But, through his officer, he said he accepted the debate so I will respond tonight,” he said.
On Twitter again, Nazri’s aide wrote: “Nazri mahu forum mesti diadakan juga, tidak kisah dimana, berapa ramai dan siapa lagi ahli forum, dia tunggu dgn kesabaran.” (Nazri wants this forum to be held, regardless of where, how many people and whoever else takes part in it, he patiently waits.)
Lim’s challenge to Nazri came following the latter’s interview with Utusan Malaysia carried on Sunday where he declared that there was no need to form another RCI although Teoh’s family rejected the panel’s conclusion that Teoh had committed suicide.
In the interview, Nazri had also said that although the MACC needs to revamp itself, the RCI had absolved it of murder charges and this should not be questioned further.
But Lim refuted all charges, reiterating his stand that the MACC should be held responsible for the tragedy as the RCI had discovered that Teoh’s suicide had resulted from the “aggressive, relentless, oppressive and unscrupulous interrogation” by its officers.