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National and international shame that Malaysia’s anti-corruption ranking so low when MACC sets world record with the greatest superstructure with the most number of bodies monitoring it to uphold integrity and accountability

It is no use the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board coming out with a sanctimonious statement that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should be given room to conduct a full and thorough investigation into the MARA property corruption scandal in Australia, and urging “all parties, including politicians” to refrain from making statements which could jeopardise the image of MACC.

Both the MACC and its Advisory Board should know that it is its own record and performance as an anti-corruption fighter which is the most powerful determinant of its image whether it is a fearless and feared anti-corruption fighter or just a “toothless tiger” as far as the corrupt among the “high and mighty” in the political world is concerned.

Next month is the sixth death anniversary of innocent DAP aide, Teoh Beng Hock, who lost his life in the very sanctum of MACC headquarters in Shah Alam on 16th July 2009, and up to now, no MACC officer has yet been penalised for Teoh’s death.

If MACC cannot even ensure that is officers uphold integrity and accountability in the death of Teoh Beng Hock, is it any wonder that public confidence in the MACC’s commitment to wage an all-out war against corruption and to upold integrity in high political places is virtually non-existent?

The MARA property corruption scandal in Australia will be an acid test whether the MACC is going to start showing that it has teeth and claws as far as fighting the corrupt among the high and mighty in the political world is concerned, or that MACC is only capable of abusing the powers as in the deaths of Teoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sarbani Mohamad in April 2011. Continue reading “National and international shame that Malaysia’s anti-corruption ranking so low when MACC sets world record with the greatest superstructure with the most number of bodies monitoring it to uphold integrity and accountability”

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35 Ministers of Najib Cabinet 2015 made history – proving to have comprehension problems worse than ordinary school children who are already several years behind other countries

Although the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin claims that Malaysia has the best education system in the world, better than Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, international educational tests like PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) and TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) have consistently shown that Malaysia’s 15-year-old students are not only below the international average in the three critical subjects of reading, science and maths but four or even five years behind their peers in the top-performing countries/regions in Shanghai, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.

But it is fortunate that the 35 Cabinet Ministers did not represent the country in these PISA and TIMSS tests or Malaysia would be ten or even more years behind other countries.

This is because the Cabinet today has created history and a record of sorts, demonstrating that the 35 Ministers in the Najib Cabinet 2015 have comprehension problems worse than ordinary school children who are already several years behind other countries.

This is because even the average school children would not have made the colossal error committed by the 35 Ministers today in concluding that the call by the Minister for Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob to Malay consumers to boycott Chinese businesses was not targetting Chinese traders alone but aimed at all traders.

After the Cabinet meeeting, the police today called up Ismail Sabri for investigation over his racist call on his Facebook to Malay consumers to boycott Chinese business, which prompted my tweet: “Sheer rigmarole when PMO has cleared Ismail Sabri”.

This has only made the police, the overwhelming majority of whom are dedicated and professional officers committed to the duty to maintain peace and uphold law and order, look very foolish. Continue reading “35 Ministers of Najib Cabinet 2015 made history – proving to have comprehension problems worse than ordinary school children who are already several years behind other countries”

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Find out who wrote Beng Hock’s alleged suicide note, family tells cops

The Malaysian Insider
5 October 2014

Fed-up with Bukit Aman quizzing them about a so-called suicide note written by political aide Teoh Beng Hock, his family has decided not to give any further statements to the police until someone is arrested over the incidents which led to his untimely death.

The family’s lawyer, Teo Nie Ching, said this after Beng Hock’s wife, Sor Cher Wei, and his sister, Lee Lan, were questioned by federal police yesterday at the Batu Pahat district police headquarters.

According to Teo, senior investigating lawyer ASP Tony Lunggan had called up Soh and told her he wanted to record statements from her and Lee Lan over the “suicide note”.

Tony is part of a Bukit Aman six-member special unit tasked with re-investigating Beng Hock’s death. Continue reading “Find out who wrote Beng Hock’s alleged suicide note, family tells cops”

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Teoh Beng Hock appeal verdict a turning point?

– Koon Yew Yin
The Malaysian Insider
10 September 2014

In the last few years, the reputation of Malaysia’s judiciary for fairness and adherence to do justice strictly according to the law has taken a severe beating.

Notorious cases such as the Linda Joy, Anwar Ibrahim, Nizar vs Zambry, and other less politically visible cases have raised public doubts as to whether our judges, especially in cases with politically sensitive outcomes, are able to arrive at fair and just decisions.

Or whether in fact the opposite has taken place with judges more concerned with career advancement and playing ball with the powers that be. Continue reading “Teoh Beng Hock appeal verdict a turning point?”

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DAP lodges 2nd police report on Beng Hock’s death

BY MUZLIZA MUSTAFA | TMI
7 September 2014

DAP lodged a police report in Puchong today as part of its nationwide move to pressure the authorities to find the culprit responsible for Teoh Beng Hock’s death following a Court of Appeal verdict on Friday.

The Court of Appeal set aside the open verdict by a coroner on Beng Hock’s death five years ago, ruling that “a person or persons were responsible for his death”.

Kinrara assemblyman Ng Sze Han said someone should be responsible for the political aide’s death as stated in the verdict by the Court of Appeal and that action should be taken against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission officers involved in Teoh’s case in 2009.

“They should be suspended from duty immediately as they are not fit to work,” said Ng after lodging a report at the Serdang police headquarters in Puchong today.
“After five years of fight, the family finally see some hope. We applaud the court decision.”

He said this was the second police report lodged by DAP. The first was in Ipoh yesterday. More reports are expected to be lodged nationwide by DAP to put pressure against the investigators. Continue reading “DAP lodges 2nd police report on Beng Hock’s death”

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Special police team to reopen investigation into Teoh Beng Hock’s death

BY LEE SHI-IAN | TMI
6 September 2014

Bukit Aman has formed a special team to reopen the investigations into the death of Teoh Beng Hock (pic), who died under mysterious circumstances in 2009.

Federal Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh told The Malaysian Insider that police would relook Teoh’s case to decide if it should be reclassified as murder.

Yesterday, the Court of Appeal set aside the open verdict by a coroner into Teoh’s death in 2009, ruling that “a person or persons were responsible” for his death.

The police’s initial findings ruled Teoh’s death as sudden death but Mohmad said more witnesses would be called if such a need arose.

“We will investigate to ascertain if there is a possibility that Teoh’s death was a result of or was accelerated by unknown individuals,” Mohmad said. Continue reading “Special police team to reopen investigation into Teoh Beng Hock’s death”

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DAP leader: Drop sedition probe on Kit Siang for Beng Hock ‘murdered’ claim

BY IDA LIM | MMO
SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 5 — The police should immediately drop its sedition probe of DAP veteran leader Lim Kit Siang for claiming that political aide Teoh Beng Hock was “murdered” in 2009, party leader Teo Nie Ching said today.

Teo said the Court of Appeal’s ruling today that Teoh’s death was caused by the actions of unknown persons including the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers has “proven” that Lim was correct in making his claim.

“Beng Hock did not commit suicide and it was not an accidental death, someone caused his death and therefore it is correct for Lim Kit Siang to say that Teoh Beng Hock was murdered and the investigation against him should immediately stop,” the DAP assistant publicity secretary told reporters here in an immediate response after the judgement was delivered.

On August 4, police recorded a statement from Lim over his allegedly seditious remark in a July 16 article, which was published on party portal The Rocket, regarding the unexplained death of Teoh five years ago. Continue reading “DAP leader: Drop sedition probe on Kit Siang for Beng Hock ‘murdered’ claim”

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Court of Appeal reverses open verdict ruling in Teoh Beng Hock’s death

BY V. ANBALAGAN |TMI
5 September 2014

The Court of Appeal has set aside the open verdict by a coroner on the death of Teoh Beng Hock five years ago, ruling that “a person or persons were responsible for his death”.

Judges Datuk Mohamad Arif Md Yusof, Datuk Mah Weng Kwai and Datuk Hamid Sultan Abu Backer delivered separate judgments.

Mah said the coroner and the High Court erred in law in applying the wrong standard of proof.

He said‎ it should be on the balance of probability and not beyond reasonable doubt, adding that a person or persons were responsible for his death.
This unprecedented verdict may force the police to reopen investigations into Teoh’s death.

Coroner Azmil Muntapha on January 5, 2011 returned a verdict that Teoh’s death was neither a suicide nor homicide.

The High Court on December 1, 2011 upheld that decision. Continue reading “Court of Appeal reverses open verdict ruling in Teoh Beng Hock’s death”

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After Karpal’s sedition conviction, IGP Khalid wants my “scalp”, knock me out of Parliament and even jailed for sedition?

The Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, probably hopes to get the second scalp of a DAP leader to be jailed and be disqualified and knocked out of Parliament for conviction of sedition – targeting me after Karpal Singh’s most unwarranted conviction for sedition and RM4,000 fine which would have ejected Karpal from Parliament if he is still alive and his appeal against conviction or sentence had not been overturned.

I was surprised when I first learned that the Police was coming after me under the Sedition Act, although I was nonplussed as to what seditious statement I had made to warrant a police investigation against me under the Sedition Act – especially when the Police had been infamously passive and notoriously inactive when there had been a crescendo of seditious utterances and threats by extremist individuals and NGOs inciting racial and religious hatred, including May 13 threats about racial riots uttered at least thrice this year alone!

Malaysians must commend the Malaysian Police for having the outstanding qualities not to be found in other police forces in the world, i.e. its enormous ability to turn the blind eye to flagrant criminality right in their faces when committed by certain privileged groups of people but extraordinary ability to discern crime or sedition when they don’t exist when another targeted group of people is involved!

In a buka puasa event last night, Khalid announced that the police will record a statement from me for my recent comment on the fifth death anniversary of Teoh Beng Hock (TBH) that Beng Hock had been murdered and that the killers are still at large. Continue reading “After Karpal’s sedition conviction, IGP Khalid wants my “scalp”, knock me out of Parliament and even jailed for sedition?”

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How the three MACC officers implicated in TBH’s death could be cleared of indiscipline by the MACC special investigation team without having to suffer any penalty whatsoever?

This forum on the fifth anniversary of the mysterious death, in fact murder, of Teoh Beng Hock at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) premises in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009 is held under the shadow of another great tragedy and injustice, the MH 17 disaster on 17th July where 298 innocent lives from some 10 nations were snuffed out in an instant when the Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 jetliner was blown out of Ukraine airspace by a surface-to-air missile.

On that fateful Thursday night, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak promised that “no stone would be left unturned” to investigate the MH 17 tragedy and that the perpetrators of the crime against humanity must be swiftly brought to justice.

I had given full support to Najib’s statement calling on all Malaysians to stand united as one with the Prime Minister in seeking “swift justice” against the perpetrators of the heinous crime against humanity in causing the MH 17 tragedy.

As I said at the candlelight vigil and prayer for MH 17 a short while ago outside this hall, Malaysians have prided themselves of being blessed in a land without natural disasters like earthquakes, typhoons or volcanic eruptions, but we have recently been reminded that Malaysians are vulnerable to many man-made disasters – two of which hit Malaysia in the form of unprecedented air disasters MH 370 and MH 17 in less than five months, claiming 537 innocent lives. Continue reading “How the three MACC officers implicated in TBH’s death could be cleared of indiscipline by the MACC special investigation team without having to suffer any penalty whatsoever?”

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Malaysians committed to justice will not rest until the cover up of Teoh Beng Hock’s criminal and senseless killing five years ago are exposed and the killers brought to justice

Today is the fifth anniversary of the killing of DAP aide Teoh Beng Hock (TBH) at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Shah Alam.

The gloom over the unresolved murder of Teoh Beng Hock five years ago has been aggravated by the MACC statement yesterday that the three MACC officers implicated in the death of Teoh Beng Hock by the TBH Royal Commission of Inquiry had been cleared of indiscipline by the MACC special investigation team comprising its disciplinary board and the complaints committee (one of the MACC independent oversight committees).

The MACC statement sparked a new national round of shockwaves of disbelief and disgust at the continued degradation of credibility, independence, professionalism and integrity of important national institutions whether the judiciary, the Elections Commission, the police, the MACC or even a Royal Commission of Inquiry – testimony that the grave injustice of the unresolved killing of Teoh Beng Hock continues to be one of the greatest injustices in the 57-year history of the nation. Continue reading “Malaysians committed to justice will not rest until the cover up of Teoh Beng Hock’s criminal and senseless killing five years ago are exposed and the killers brought to justice”

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In Karpal, slain Beng Hock’s kin saw a beacon of hope

By Opalyn Mok
The Malaysian Insider
April 19, 2014

GEORGE TOWN, April 19 — The house at Number 144A Jalan Utama has seen a ceaseless stream of visitors since morning.

They came from all walks of life, mostly in groups, sometimes alone to offer their condolences to the family of the late Karpal Singh.

And to pay homage to the man they had greatly respected in life for his dedication to serving his fellow men, fighting their battles in Parliament and in court, unwavering in his steadfast belief in the rule of law.

The small group that managed to squeeze in after lunch had travelled all the way from Malacca.

On the faces of the late Teoh Beng Hock’s family was the sombre look that signalled the grief of a loved one snatched from life all too soon.

But their faces also wore the knowledge that even death does not halt the pursuit of justice. Continue reading “In Karpal, slain Beng Hock’s kin saw a beacon of hope”

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Saluting M’sia’s Mandelas

Dean Johns
Malaysiakini
Dec 14, 2013

In the wake of the death of the man who led South Africa to freedom from apartheid, many here have wondered whether there will ever be a Mandela-style leader to liberate Malaysia from the curse of Barisan Nasional.

Of course this robber-regime has already made a brazen bid to steal the spirit of Mandela for itself, with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak ludicrously claiming that his Umno party’s ‘struggle’ is similar to that of South Africa’s ANC.

A claim that was neatly rebutted by US President Barack Obama in his speech in celebration of the life of Nelson Mandela, in which his statement that “there are too many leaders who claim solidarity with Madiba’s struggle for freedom, but do not tolerate dissent from their own people” was clearly directed at the Najibs of the world.

In any event, there was never much of a struggle to free Malaysia from colonial rule, except by socialists, trade unionists and communists.

And the Alliance that finally achieved Merdeka under the benevolent and broad-minded leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman all too soon degenerated into the Umno-dominated Barisan Nasional that has ever since so disgracefully re-colonised the nation for its own and its cronies’ benefit.

So that just as Mandela’s dream of a resurgent South Africa has degenerated into the current reality of a sink-hole of gross inequality, rampant crime and corruption under the unlovely Jacob Zuma, so has Tunku Abdul Rahman’s idea and ideal of Malaysia descended into today’s Najib-style nightmare. Continue reading “Saluting M’sia’s Mandelas”

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MACC should explain why no disciplinary action taken against Mohd Nadzri when Teoh Beng Hock RCI Report made adverse comments about Nadzri’s role in Beng Hock’s mysterious death

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has urged the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) to remove Mohd Nadzri Ibrahim, its sole investigator, from investigating death-in-custody cases.

This is MACC’s response to the query by two DAP MPs, Zairil Khir Johari (Bukit Bendera) and Steven Sim Chee Keong (Bukit Mertajam) whether EAIC’s integrity would be in doubt if Mohd Nadzri was the MACC officer who was part of the MACC probe causing the mysterious death of DAP aide Teoh Beng Hock at Selangor MACC headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009.

A MACC statement issued late last night said:

“SPRM does not want any SPRM officers linked to any controversies, whether it involves SPRM itself or the EAIC.

“In this matter, SPRM wishes to stress that Mohd Nadzri Ibrahim, an SPRM officer who was seconded to the EAIC since more than a year ago, is an officer who has always conducted his duties professionally.

“Like SPRM, SPRM is confident that the EAIC, which is an independent commission, would also want to ensure justice for all parties involved in the issue of deaths in custody.”

This is meaningless bureaucratic gobbledygook designed to confuse rather than to illuminate the public, just because the government agency concerned has got embarrassing things to hide from the people.
Continue reading “MACC should explain why no disciplinary action taken against Mohd Nadzri when Teoh Beng Hock RCI Report made adverse comments about Nadzri’s role in Beng Hock’s mysterious death”

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Five things for Paul Low to do as Minister of Integrity in Najib Cabinet

I have described Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Cabinet announced three days ago as the most unimpressive Cabinet of six Prime Ministers in the nation’s 56-year history.

I maintain this judgment despite the surprise appointment of the Transparency International-Malaysia President Datuk Pau Low as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Deparment, whose portfolio should be on Integrity and fighting corruption in Malaysia.

This is because Low has not been able to give any assurance that his appointment marks a tectonic shift in the Najib government’s commitment to make anti-corruption top priority, and not just “more-of-the-same salesmanship and gamesmanship” under the tutelage of Idris Jala’s sloganeering National Transformation Programme in the past four years – which saw Malaysia’s international standing on the anti-corruption front plunging to new lows.

To convince Malaysians that Paul Low’s appointment is not going to be another repeat of Idris Jala appointment of “more of the same” of the past four years, there are five things which Paul Low should immediately address in the first week as Minister, viz:

  1. Full report and assessment whether the Prime Minister, BN Ministers and candidates have complied with the TI-M Election Integrity Pledge which Najib had signed on behalf of all BN leaders and candidates in Low’s presence on Feb. 20.

    This will be one of my first parliamentary questions to him when the 13th Parliament convenes next month, and he should immediately commission a full investigation so that he could give full, detained and satisfactory answer to this query when Parliament meets.

  2. Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on National Reconciliation after the 13GE, as announced by Najib after his mistaken and ill-advised comment about the 13GE results as a “Chinese tsunami” when it is a Malaysian and urban tsunami. Continue reading “Five things for Paul Low to do as Minister of Integrity in Najib Cabinet”

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13GE – Justice for Teoh Beng Hock

Malaysiakini

DAY 14 What’s happening during the election campaigns around the country today? Quotable quotes, planned events and unplanned incidents as they take place.

11.15pm – Pasir Gudang: Soh Cher Wei, the wife of political aide Teoh Beng Hock who died mysteriously at the premises of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), asks the help of the audience of some 3,000 to “lend” her their votes to seek the truth behind Teoh’s death.

Speaking at a Pakatan function for the second time after yesterday’s ceramah at Kulai, the civil servant is unfazed that action could be taken against her for speaking at Pakatan ceramah.

“I would come (and speak at Pakatan ceramah) for the third, fourth or fifth time (if I’m asked to). I don’t think they would pardon me but at least I die (penalised) for a cause.”

Soh reminds the audience that the truth is still being denied four years after Teoh died. Continue reading “13GE – Justice for Teoh Beng Hock”

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Beng Hock: The dead brought to life in documentary

Steve Oh
CPI

Teoh Beng Hock was the man who died while in the custody of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Shah Alam.

We read about him, we saw his photo in the news, and we remember the emotive images of his sobbing sister.

We knew him as a political worker.

He was law-abiding and trusting of the MACC, a government anti-corruption agency – the good guys who go after the bad guys.

It was Teoh’s fatal mistake in trusting them.

He had gone to their office to help in their investigation over a minor expense, RM 2,400 to be exact, incurred by his boss, a state assemblyman who is a member of the Selangor exco (state executive committee).

We know the rest of the story. Continue reading “Beng Hock: The dead brought to life in documentary”

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Desperation in December

by Rom Nain
Malaysiakini
Jan 6, 2013

Desperation evidently does strange things to God’s creatures, including some already-anxious Malaysian politicians and their minions. And nowhere has this been more obvious than during the recent month of December; a period often hyped as the season of cheer and plenty, but this time around coming across as the season of fear and stupidity.

At least for some.

If pushed for a time frame, I’d say it all began barely a week before Christmas. Perhaps inspired by a previously silent (though certainly not holy) night and the medically recommended seven hours of sleep, not one, but two prominent individuals came up in the mainstream media on Dec 20 with what they must have thought were brilliant suggestions.

The fact that they are both Malaysians linked to BN, however, made many doubt their brilliance. After all, the days of cemerlang, gemilang, terbilang went out the window with the ‘retirement’ of poor Pak Lah (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) and has largely been replaced, since late 2008 at least, by years of temberang.

In any case, on Dec 20, the media widely reported that Johan Jaafar, chairperson of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel (CCPP) had “proposed that all parties send their list of candidates contesting in the 13th general election for vetting by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)”. Continue reading “Desperation in December”

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Month-long jail sentence on “Occupy Dataran” student Umar Mohd Azmi outrageous and devastating reminder before 13GE that even under Najib as PM, the criminal justice system still sucks

The month-long jail sentence together with the maximum fine of RM1,000 on “Occupy Dataran” student Umar Mohd Azmi has become a national and international cause celebre because it is utterly outrageous as well as a devastating reminder just before the 13th General Elections that despite all the sloganeering about government, economic, educational, social and political transformation programmes, the criminal justice system in Malaysia still sucks even under the four-year premiership of Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

I am now in Sydney or I would have visited the protest camp set up by student activists outside the Kajang prison to demonstrate my support, sympathy and solidarity with Umar at the gross injustice of the harsh sentence imposed on him for obstructing a public official from performing his duty.

Why was Umar imposed the harsh penalty of a maximum fine of RM1,000 together with a one-month jail sentence, when the maximum sentence for an offence under Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing any public servant in the discharge of his public functions was a maximum jail sentence of three months or with maximum fine of RM1,000 or both?

One powerful reason why there must be change of Federal government in Putrajaya in the forthcoming 13th general elections is that the country is teeming with cases where the criminal justice really sucks like the case of Umar. Continue reading “Month-long jail sentence on “Occupy Dataran” student Umar Mohd Azmi outrageous and devastating reminder before 13GE that even under Najib as PM, the criminal justice system still sucks”

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Latest GFI report on RM196.8 billion dirty money siphoned out of Malaysia in 2010 is the third warning of adverse international reports in the last month of the year that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” as far as Malaysia is concerned

The latest Global Financial Integrity (GFI) report on the astronomical RM196.8 billion in dirty money siphoned out of Malaysia in 2010, resulting in a mind-boggling total of RM871 billion in illegal capital flight from the country over the last 10 years (2001-2010), is the third warning of adverse international reports in the last month of the year that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” as far as Malaysia is concerned.

The GFI report marks a trio of adverse international reports about Malaysia in the last month of this year to warn Malaysians why the time has come for a change of Federal government in Putrajaya in the forthcoming 13th General Elections.

There are still 11 days before the end of the month of December for the year 2012. Will there be another adverse international report about Malaysia to make it a quartet of adverse international reports in the last month of this year?

The other two adverse international reports for Malaysia which were published this month are:

• Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2012 – Despite a change of methodology for the TI CPI score and ranking, the ineluctable fact is that corruption under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak from 2009-2012 is even worse than corruption under the previous five Prime Ministers, including Tun Abdullah and Tun Mahathir; Continue reading “Latest GFI report on RM196.8 billion dirty money siphoned out of Malaysia in 2010 is the third warning of adverse international reports in the last month of the year that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” as far as Malaysia is concerned”