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.
“We found him to be arrogant, given to falsehoods, untruthful and uncompromising in his stand,” it said, noting that Hishammuddin had persistently denied being part of the operation.
The panel said they only learnt the truth when two of Hishammuddin’s men testified the former Selangor MACC deputy director was the one who issued all instructions and even directed the officers on who and how to interview witnesses.
Hishammuddin is now the Negri Sembilan MACC director, the panel noted.
“From the start we observed that he was fully convinced of the truth of the information he had received. However, he was fully aware of the fact that information was grounded on the belief of the informant that Selangor state assemblymen were receiving monies from the allocation without the programmes being held or the projects being carried out,” it said.
It noted that Hishammuddin who had 19 years experience then “should have exercised every caution as the complaint was serious in nature and involved the State government of Selangor”.
The RCI added that instead of carrying out basic groundwork to confirm the truth of his informant’s claims, “he launched a full-scale operation involving a large number of witnesses and mobilised the whole Selangor MACC and sought manpower support from other MACC officers as well for this purpose”.
The panel said Hishammuddin could have checked by interviewing independent persons who had previously attended the events, or visited the project sites, or even call up the land or district offices to know if the budgeted programmes had been held.
The RCI also noted an anonymous letter, purportedly from all MACC officers in the country, addressed to its chief, which accused Hishammuddin of misconduct and power abuses in connection with Teoh’s case and former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo.
The letter was submitted as evidence although there was no proof to suggest a formal investigation was ever carried out.
The RCI noted that Hishammuddin had been described by his fellow officers as a “workaholic” and an ambitious person who put fear in his colleagues.
“Thus, it was not at all surprising that most of his officers… had the inevitable habit of lying,” it said.
The RCI recommended that the MACC Act passed two years ago be amended to prevent further abuses and misinterpretation of the law and to afford protection to witnesses and suspects against human-rights abuses as well as to take a more balance approach in the fight against corruption.
With due respect, do we need an amendment of the Act to protect witnesses and suspects against violations of human rights? That’s the trouble with us: we are blinkered: we can’t see that we already have an army of laws against violations of human rights, only our enforcement agencies do not want to implement them. Let us try a change of government- the opportunity is going to come soon. The fellows who are going to take over can’t be as bad as the fellows going to be booted out!
It looks like it is a promotion! For all the above?
The Metropolitan Chief of London resigned based on mere association! What can we expect here?? We ALL know what to do, come GE!
The RCI said; “A senior Selangor anti-graft officer launched a full-scale fund abuse investigation solely on an informant’s “mere belief” and without supporting facts,….”
This contradicts the usual MACC excuse when high profile cases are either not investigated or deliberately delayed. They often cite lack of report, evidence or confidentiality to drag their feet. But here is the complete opposite. So what prompted this “enthusiam”? But if one reads between the lines, I think we all know who directed the MACC to go to any lengths to find wrongdoing with the Selangor PR Govt. to “win back Selangor at any cost”. So now just like the two policemen in the Altantuya case, these three MACC officers are made scapegoats. In return, HH has already been promoted to Negri Sembilan MACC Director. The other two should be receiving their rewards soon.
In UK’s phone hacking scandal, even though nobody died, the Chief of the metropolitan police had to resign. So did his anti terrorism chief. I think it is high time the various watchdog committees for the MACC should also do the decent thing and resign en bloc to stop being perceived as running dogs. They have all failed in their responsibilities because another person, Ahmad Sarbaini, had died in MACC under eerily similar circumstances. It appears that such deaths are Standard Operating Procedure for the MACC. Sounds like the Death Squads in a South American country not too long ago. Why did this organization turn into such a monster? And even with so many watchdog committees. Who failed? Why did it fail?
How could someone with this kind of lousy performance in work be promoted to director? Could it be that he got the job because he was subservient to his political masters?
///The RCI noted that Hishammuddin had been described by his fellow officers as a “workaholic” and an ambitious person who put fear in his colleagues.///
How do we know he does not also put fear in his bosses including political bosses by keeping their files somewhere to ensure no harm comes to him whatever abuses he perpetrates?
Is that why the govt’s kid glove treatment of transferring him from deputy director of Selangor to director of Negeri Sembilan – an outward face saving gesture of promotion but actually trimming his influence by cutting & severing him off his power base influence and contacts in Selangor?
RPK, Malaysia-today.net: “If it’s nonsense then explain”.
Hello, Shafee Abdullah, you asked for it.
Now explain. Since you are a lawyer extraordinaire, explain with all the alchemy and verve you can muster. Conjure a rabbit out of thin air if you can to explain. But explain you must.
The people will judge on a preponderance of evidence or evasion who is telling the truth. Meanwhile, don’t talk-kok.
//A senior Selangor anti-graft officer launched a full-scale fund abuse investigation solely on an informant’s “mere belief” and without supporting facts//
If I remember correctly, that informant was the froggie Wee Choo Keong who in his blog posted his belief of fund abuse by a dap Selangor state assemblyman. Why no action taken against Wee for lying?
Wait a minute, didn’t the RCI find TBH’s death “neither murder nor suicide” like a month ago??
How the fudge does a man who has his life all lined up and getting married w/ a baby coming want to take his own life?? My GAWD, something very very evil was going down in the Macc!
“Hishammuddin is now the Negri Sembilan MACC director, the panel noted.”
In other words, the cancer cell has turned metastasis. And the metastasis process in this case was clearly aided by an effective spreading agent. That agent is none other than umno.
Amend the law the RCI recommended. Oh yea. Yea. More laws. More amendments. Laws are really only for the law abiding people. Only they would take heed and comply. Umno? Oh umno people are governed by the laws of islam jenis-umno. Going by my lay observation, the laws of islam jenis-umno allow corruption and murder and abuse of public funds.
/// The RCI added that instead of carrying out basic groundwork to confirm the truth of his informant’s claims, “he launched a full-scale operation involving a large number of witnesses and mobilised the whole Selangor MACC and sought manpower support from other MACC officers as well for this purpose”. ///
James, can you be more specific and direct pls. Oh wtf. Let me say it for you. Let me speak your mind:
“That was a politically motivated investigation directed by toyo pursuant to jib’s order to take back selangor by whatever means.”
There more issues than this: First, what disciplinary and legal actions are these three officers going to face, a gentle departmental warning? Second, we need to find out why are these officers so zealous in pursuing a RM2,400 “abuse of fund” case when corruption in the country is almost endemic? Are they under direct order from anyone to destroy a Selangor Exco and DAP? Are they racist bent on destroying and bullying Chinese politicians? Are they pro BN and anti opposition?
Abu Kassim confirmed during the Sarawak elections that the MACC is investigating Taib Mahmud. Then, like most things in Bolehland, there was nothing more on that matter. You expect us to trust you, MACC ?
The abuse of power goes all the way up to the very top. We all know that the various supposedly “independent” agencies like the Elections Commission and the MACC work feverishly for UMNO.
“If ever time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin.”
Samuel Adams
Our nation is overunned by vain and aspiring fools.
Don’t expect too much lah, no action will b taken 1 lah
Instead d MACC officers will b given a pat on d back n encouragement 4 a job well-done
We have such screwed up institutions. Let’s wait and see what actions will be taken against these three or more scondrels. Let’s hope there is justice for TBH and family and also for all Malaysians. The future of all Malaysians is really at stake with such kind of governance. Arrogance, high powered, self centered, bad and dangerous attitude, inhuman behaviour are some of their semblance. What is our country going through??????
///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.///
It was not a belief that there was corruption, it was the belief that he could use the law to persecute whoever he wanted.
I really wonder how many Malaysians believe that aggressive or harsh interrogation methods alone can push a man to suicide when he’s not guilty of any crime. Would a responsible adult such as Teoh, who knew his young wife-to-be was bearing his child and in need of his care and protection, commit suicide?
If TBH really committed suicide, the whole MACC need a major revamp, because we can expect more ‘suicides’. For a start, we need a RCI comprising not just government appointees but also civil society/NGO representatives to look into MACC’s modus operandi.
From day one, i never trusted the RCI set up.
Complete waste of rakyat money and time.
The RCI report did not address one aspect: did they believe that TBH has been released as the MACC said? Given the circumstances and the fact that MACC officers are prone to lying (RCI’s conclusion: not mine) I am convinced that he had not been released. Therefore MACC is responsible for his death, since he is still under their custody. How exactly he died is another story; MACC is responsible; fullstop.