Is MACC now “Malaysian Ante Chamber of Crime”?
By Lim Kit Siang
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.
