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Suspension of 3 officers held responsible by RCI for death of TBH too little too late

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. Continue reading “Suspension of 3 officers held responsible by RCI for death of TBH too little too late”

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Teoh’s ‘suicide’ — fact or fantasy?

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: Continue reading “Teoh’s ‘suicide’ — fact or fantasy?”

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Utusan Malaysia says normal for corruption witnesses to commit suicide

By Clara Chooi
July 24, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Utusan Malaysia today downplayed the cause of Teoh Beng Hock’s death, saying that it is common for witnesses in corruption cases to commit suicide to avoid shaming their families or organisation.

“Awang does not understand it has been made such a major issue whether a person commits suicide during or after interrogation,” Awang Selamat wrote today in Mingguan Malaysia, the Malay daily’s Sunday edition. “In many other countries, the act of sacrificing oneself is not something alien to a corruption case.”

Awang Selamat is a pseudonym under which editors of Utusan Malaysia write. Continue reading “Utusan Malaysia says normal for corruption witnesses to commit suicide”

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Utusan defends MACC, holds DAP responsible for Teoh’s death

By Clara Chooi
July 24, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Utusan Malaysia expressed sympathy for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for bearing the brunt of the blame for Teoh Beng Hock’s death, saying today it was DAP and its adviser Lim Kit Siang who should be held responsible.

The Umno-owned daily’s editors, writing under the pseudonym Awang Selamat, accused the opposition party of tricking Malaysians into forgetting the corruption allegation against its leaders by drawing focus to Teoh’s death.

“Malaysians have been dragged too deep into this issue (Teoh’s death) until we have strayed from the actual path. The real issue — corruption — has been buried. Continue reading “Utusan defends MACC, holds DAP responsible for Teoh’s death”

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Habeas corpus made meaningless!

P Ramakrishnan
President
Aliran
22 July 2011

Aliran is deeply disillusioned with the judiciary. Instead of depending on technicalities and loopholes in the law, it should focus on fairness and justice.

It should be prominently and predominantly concerned with freedom and human rights of the citizens. When the freedom of individuals is deprived by dubious means, the judiciary should be uncompromising in defending that freedom.

Dr Jeyakumar and his five companions have been incarcerated since 2 July 2011. Nobody believes the accusations levelled against them. The whole exercise has turned into farcical nonsense. Continue reading “Habeas corpus made meaningless!”

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EU mulls observer group as EC ‘not credible’, say diplomats

By Jahabar Sadiq
Editor
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 24, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Despite Putrajaya’s strident defence of the Election Commission (EC), European Union (EU) diplomats are looking into proposals to send observer groups for the next general election as they found the commission “not credible” after a recent briefing here.

Several diplomats told The Malaysian Insider that EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof’s briefing weeks before the Bersih rally on July 9 did not convince them of the commission’s neutrality as he kept referring to being part of the government.

“They are not credible. Abdul Aziz kept repeating ‘us’ and ‘we in the government’ during the briefing,” a European diplomat told The Malaysian Insider. Continue reading “EU mulls observer group as EC ‘not credible’, say diplomats”