Press Statement by Charles Santiago in Klang on Thursday, 22^ndOctober 2009:

Thai pathologist findings explosive and undermines confidence in Malaysian institutions: suspend Teoh’s investigators and Institute Royal Commission NOW

The explosive testimony by renowned Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand at Teoh Beng Hock's inquest hearing is shocking. Her conclusion that Teoh's death was probably homicide seriously undermines the credibility of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC).

Dr Pornthip also testified that Teoh’s head injuries was the result of blunt force applied directly to the skull and could have been strangled.

She also said that Teoh was alive but unconscious when he hit the roof where his body was found. According to Dr Pornthip, the tear in Teoh's anus was caused by an object forcefully inserted into him.

Dr Pornthip's findings question the credibility of the previous two pathologists, Khairul Aznam Ibrahim from the Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang and Prashant Naresh Samberkar from the University Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur. They both said Teoh had committed suicide.

Were the testimonies of Khairul and Prashant nipped and tucked to protect the anti-corruption officers responsible for Teoh's death. Or they could have testified under duress.

It is clear that the MACC was used as a tool by the UMNO-led government to intimidate the opposition. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak made it clear that he would wrestle Selangor back from the Pakatan Rakyat government. And in the process a young man is dead.

There may be more to this tale than Porntip's observations, in the form of an anonymous letter, written in Malay on MACC stationery, accusing top anti-graft officer Hishamuddin Hashim of conspiring with former Selangor Menteri Besar Mohammad Khir Toyo to conduct corruption enquiries into opposition politicians.

Clearly the upper echelon officers of MACC worked in cohorts to tarnish the credibility of Pakatan politicians and topple the Selangor government. In sharp contrast, Pornthip's findings have completely eroded any confidence in the anti-corruption agency.

This is not the first time that the ruling BN government is trying to ignore deaths in custody that obstinately persist due to abuse of power that have been largely left unchecked.

The case of A Kugan Ananthan drew outrage when a video of his badly injured body surfaced. He died in police custody and his body bore severe lacerations, wounds and burn marks.

One police officer has been charged after eight months despite the multiple injuries sustained by Kugan, raising doubt that many more policemen were involved. And the police officer was charged with causing grievous hurt to Kugan to extort a confession, although the Attorney-General had earlier classified the case as murder.

According to statistics revealed in Parliament last year, there were a total of 1535 custodial deaths in the country between 2003-2007.

If the government continues to shield and protect the perpetrators of abuse to fulfil its own political agenda, Malaysia will suffer its greatest crisis of confidence.

As such I call for the immediate suspension of all the anti-graft officers involved in interrogating Teoh. I also call upon the government to set-up a Royal Commission of Enquiry to independently investigate the circumstances leading to Teoh's death.

It is extremely disturbing to read about Dr Pornthip's findings relating to Teoh's death. I, therefore, offer my deepest sympathy to Teoh's parents, fiance, family and friends.

* Charles Santiago, Selangor DAP Vice Chairman & MP for Klang