Media Statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, 29^th July 2009: 

Is MACC prepared to submit to a public inquiry to establish that it is not any manner responsible for the “black blog” set up in past week to defame DAP Selangor Excos with lies, half-truths and doctored documents

Suspicions abound as to who are responsible for the “black blog” which had appeared anonymously in the past week to defame DAP Selangor Excos, Ronnie Liu and Ean Yong Hian Wah, accusing them of corrupt practices, based on lies, half-truths and doctored documents.

One suspicion is the MACC or MACC officers, in order to deflect public outrage over the mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock at the MACC Headquarters on July 16, 2009.

As Professor Dr. Shad Faruqi of the of the Faculty of Law, UiTM wrote in the Star “Ferreting out the Facts” today, many questions cry out for answers about the Teoh’s mysterious death at MACC, including:

After Teoh was released, did he make any telephone calls which could give some pointers to the time of his death? Was his handphone seized? Was his handphone tampered with? Were the injuries on his body the result of the fall or of prior abuse by himself or by others?

Did he die because of the fall or was he already dead when his body plunged to the floor below? Did no one hear the sickening thud of his body falling nearly 10 floors?

There are other questions – Was Teoh released by MACC as claimed at 3.45 am on May 16? If so, why was Teoh’s handphone still detained by MACC when Teoh is only a witness and not a suspect? If Teoh’s handphone was still in custody of MACC, isn’t this proof that Teoh was still in the custody of MACC? Isn’t this further proof that Teoh was in the custody of MACC when he met his death, either before or after the plunge from MACC 14th floor?

These and many other questions demand answers which the public have only confidence if they are probed by a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

Shad Faruqi had been exploited by the Barisan Nasional mainstream media a few days ago to support the contention of the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail that an inquest is a “must” for probing the causes of Teoh’s death.

I am glad Shad Faruqi has come out with a strong article to disabuse the Malaysian public of such a misperception in his Star column today, where he dismissed the Attorney-General’s contention against a Royal Commission of Inquiry as “not convincing” and supported the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry thus:

On the peculiar facts of this case, a Commission would have been most appropriate because of the legitimate expectations of the people created by assurances and proposals from many top politicians.

Commission personnel are generally of very high ranking and may arouse greater confidence than a junior judicial officer whether a magistrate or a Sessions judge.

This is not to imply, however, that magistrates cannot do justice or act impartially. There are many excellent subordinate court judges and their judicial conduct is often of higher quality than that of many superior court judges.

What is crucial is that justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. Public scepticism is acute because despite considerable passage of time, no decisive evidence seems to have emerged.

There is a major conspiracy to deflect public outrage at Teoh’s mysterious death at MACC and the refusal of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to heed family and public demands to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry to get to the bottom of the causes and circumstances of Teoh’s death.

One such tactic was to turn Teoh’s death into a racial issue, with a “thief shout thief” twist by alleging that the public outrage was an attack on a Malay or Malay-controlled institution - the MACC. In actual fact, public outrage at Teoh’s mysterious death directed at MACC had nothing to do with race as nobody regarded MACC as a Malay or Malay-controlled institution. Criticisms and demands for accountability from MACC are solely on the basis that MACC is a Malaysian institution!

Another tactic is to accuse Teoh of unspeakable crimes, which is most disgraceful on the part of the mass media and internet sites concerned.

Another tactic is the appearance of “black blogs” spreading lies, half-truths and doctored documents like the one currently defaming Ean Yong and Ronnie accusing them of corrupt practices.

If those behind the “black blog” are honest and honourable people, why are they so cowardly as to have to hide under anonymity.

But what is clear is that the “black blog” have powerful connections and backers, even from those in the Barisan Nasional mainstream media and among supposedly upright and honourable journalists who are directly or indirectly doing the dirty work of disseminating the “black blog” on a regular basis.

Suspicion is great that the MACC or MACC officers involved in the appearance of the “black blog”. Is MACC prepared to submit to a public inquiry to establish that it is not any manner responsible for the “black blog” set up in the past week to defame DAP Selangor Excos with lies, half-truths and doctored documents?

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor