Beng Hock’s real new note
By Kee Thuan Chye, Free Malaysia Today
My fellow Malaysians,
I am writing this note to absolve the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission of any involvement in my death on July 16, 2009. This is something I’m doing at my own initiative. Nobody asked me to write it. And it would be ridiculous for anyone to think that I was tortured to do it.
I am placing this note in my bag in the hope that it will be found by the investigating officers. If it is sent for verification, I hope it will be concluded that this is in my handwriting. I hope no one will think that this note was planted.
It is likely that when someone finds it, they might not understand what it’s about because it’s written in Chinese, and they might just chuck it aside. But I hope in time it will be brought to light. I suppose it won’t matter if the note becomes public knowledge even a year later, as long as it serves the cause of justice.
People might think it suspicious that an important piece of evidence like this should surface so long after, but I hope they will understand that any mysterious death must have its twists and turns. Otherwise, it won’t be a mystery any more.
People often think that real life cannot have the kinds of complications they see in soap operas, but they also overlook that truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction.
There may be an inquest held after my death to find out what actually happened. I hope this note will clear the air and put to rest all the speculation that would have arisen over it.
I’m sorry if the Attorney-General’s office is going to be caught in a bind when this note is found. Because it will seem to many skeptics that it was fabricated and planted.
Being very careful and thorough in carrying out its procedures, the AG’s office will probably send the note for verification by the relevant department. But this could take some time.
When the document examiners come back with their report, the AG himself might not even be convinced that the note is genuine. He might still need to talk to whoever found the note in order to be satisfied that it is genuine. I hope he will do this quickly, because if he sits on it too long, people might wonder why. Besides, if the AG is not convinced, he would surely not tender this note as evidence at the inquest.
However, it is not easy to keep a piece of evidence in total secret. It is likely that information about this note might somehow leak out, and Ezam Mohd Noor, who used to be with us in Pakatan Rakyat but decided to return to Umno, might bring it up in the Senate. This would then exert undue pressure on the AG’s office to decide what to do next.
To deflect accusations that it is trying to suppress or withhold evidence, the AG’s office might then bring the matter up at the inquest and direct the person who found this note to explain in court how he found it.
