In his interview with Mingguan Malaysia today, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said that the Teoh Beng Hock (TBH) case is closed and that there is no need to form another Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) because the Teoh family and the opposition had rejected the suicide conclusion of the James Foong Royal Commission of Inquiry.

The Malaysian Insider report today on Nazri’s interview with Mingguan Malaysia stated:

“He however added that although the MACC needs to revamp itself, the RCI had absolved it of murder charges and this should not be questioned further. Read the rest of this entry »

Too little and too late – that’s the general public reaction to the news yesterday evening that the MACC had finally succumbed after 48 hours of public outrage and increasing public pressure and suspended three officers held responsible by the James Foong Royal Commission of Inquiry for the death of Teoh Beng Hock at the MACC headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009 from further investigation duties pending an internal probe.

According to press reports, the three MACC officers suspended are:

1. Hishammuddin Hashim [“HH”]– Negri Sembilan MACC director who was at the relevant time Deputy Director Selangor MACC and “mastermind” of the 33-officer operation based “on a mere belief and without supporting facts” (RCI report Para 184) resulting in Beng Hock’s death. Read the rest of this entry »

By Kim Quek
July 24, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JULY 24 — The Royal Commission of Inquiry on Teoh Beng Hock’s death (RCI) says that Teoh had committed suicide.

And what had driven this promising young political aide to take his own life?

RCI provides the answer in the concluding paragraph on its probe (para 232 of RCI Report), which refers to the supposed final stage of the all-night grilling of Teoh in the MACC office on July 15, 2009: Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 23, 11 | MalaysiaKini

Rejecting the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) findings that DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock had committed suicide, the Bar Council says the government and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should apologise to Teoh’s family and compensate them for the loss.

“The Malaysian Bar also calls on the government of Malaysia and MACC to consider offering an unqualified written apology to Teoh Beng Hock’s family, and to the citizens of Malaysia, for his death,” said Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee. Read the rest of this entry »

By Melissa Chi
July 23, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — Lim Kit Siang today demanded the Attorney-General and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) explain why no action has been taken against the three graftbusters implicated by the Teoh Beng Hock royal commission of inquiry (RCI).

“AG and MACC should explain why three MACC officers Hishammuddin (Hashim), Arman (Alies) and (Mohd) Ashraf (Mohd Yunus) have not been suspended and no criminal charges and departmental disciplinary action taken against them despite RCI report holding them responsible for Teoh Beng Hock’s death,” the DAP parliamentary leader said in a statement.

The inquiry into Teoh’s death ruled that the former DAP aide had committed suicide as a result of pressure from aggressive and prolonged questioning by MACC officers. Read the rest of this entry »

The Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission of Inquiry Report, in Para 119, pronounced its finding on Teoh Beng Hock’s death, as follows:

“119. Having considered all the evidence in its entirety, we found that TBH was driven to commit suicide by the aggressive, relentless, oppressive and unscrupulous interrogation to which he was subjected by certain officers of the MACC who were involved in the ongoing operation by the Selangor MACC on the night of the 15th and into the morning of the 16th.”

Malaysians cannot accept the RCI’s verdict of “forced suicide” as the cause of Beng Hock’s death. Read the rest of this entry »

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was the second attempt by Malaysia to establish Malaysia’s version of Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) with increased powers, staffing and budgetting.

However, in just two years, MACC had achieved what its predecessor the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) had never done in 41 years from 1967-2008 – two deaths at its premises in circumstances suspected by the majority of reasonable Malaysians as caused by MACC – Teoh Beng Hock in July 2009 and Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamad in April 2011.

There was sheer disbelief when news first broke out yesterday that the James Foong Royal Commission of Inquiry had reported that Teoh Beng Hock was driven to commit suicide by aggressive and continuous questioning by MACC officers – raising the question whether there is such an animal as “forced suicide” which is not homicide or murder.

Other news items yesterday which followed on the contents of the RCI report reveals one consistent picture – of how it is impossible for MACC to disclaim responsibility for causing the death of Teoh Beng Hoch who was totally at the mercy of MACC officers while in MACC custody on the fateful days of July 15 and 16, 2009.
There can be no doubt as to the answer even before the establishment of the RCI when the question is asked: Was MACC responsible for the death of Teoh Beng Hock. The answer is in the categorical positive.

The RCI report did not give a direct answer to the question but anyone reading the contents can only derive one conclusion – that the RCI would say “Yes” if asked to answer this specific question.

The RCI report is an indictment of the MACC. The picture it gives of MACC is not a law enforcement agency but a lawless organisation housed by criminals who have no qualms to break the law to achieve their misguided objectives and agendas which have nothing to do with the battle against corruption.

The question Malaysians are entitled to ask is whether MACC has become Malaysian Ante Chamber of Crime housed by criminals not to uphold the law but to violate all notions and concepts of law, justice and decency? Read the rest of this entry »

By Debra Chong
July 21, 201 |The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — A senior Selangor anti-graft officer launched a full-scale fund abuse investigation solely on an informant’s “mere belief” and without supporting facts, the royal panel reviewing the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) procedures said.

In its report released today, the Foong Commission found Hishammuddin Hashim (HH) “passionately involved” in the graft operation against a Selangor DAP lawmaker, leading to the death of his political aide Teoh Beng Hock.

“There was no direct evidence to prove that HH had a hand in the death of TBH. But as the senior most officer involved in the operation… he should be held responsible for the actions taken by him and his officers which propelled TBH to commit suicide,” the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) said. Read the rest of this entry »

By S Pathmawathy
Jul 21, 11 | MalaysiaKini

The Teoh Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report claims that the MACC instituted the “fourth interrogation” during the wee hours of July 16, 2009, from 3.30am to 7am, which “must have been the final straw that broke the camel’s back”.

According to the report, after having to endure three strenuous rounds of interrogations, the RCI panel believes that DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock was put through yet another round of intense interrogation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

This is the theory postulated by the RCI to explain how Teoh was pushed to the brink and eventually committed suicide. Read the rest of this entry »