Media comments by Lim Kit Siang after the launching of the DAP Pasir Pinji service centre foodfair at Tou Mou Kong, Ipoh on Sunday, 19^th September 2010 at 9 am: 

Call for Royal Commission of Inquiry into why no action had been taken on earlier police reports dating as far back as 2005 against the lawyer brothers linked to the mass murders of Datuk Sosilawati and three others

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon said yesterday that “All quarters should work together in making the 1 Malaysia concept and the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) a success instead of creating controversial issues which will not do any good to the country’s development”. (Malaysian Insider)

He said what was more important now was for all quarters to pay attention to improve the country’s economy and offer better service to the people, both in the urban and rural areas.

“If there are views or criticisms, the criticisms should be something constructive and positive and not something that could create disharmony among the parties.

As example he cited: “For example, a crime should not be linked to a racial issue because it will not do any good to anybody.”

The Umno newspaper, Utusan Malaysia has been most guilty of being negative, destructive and even downright irresponsible, mischievous and malicious in its campaign to undermine national unity and harmony in the country.

It is most deplorable that Utusan Malaysia had tried to politicise and racialise the heinous, gruesome and despicable mass murders of Datuk Sosilawai Lawiya and three others in Banting for its ignoble objectives, publishing the defamatory insinuation and double lies on Sept. 16 that DAP was siding with the mass murderers and had been silent on the mass murders either because the “Datuk” killer was DAP member or DAP “fights for the rights of a certain race only”.

In actual fact, DAP had come out with an unreserved condemnation of the mass murders of Datuk Sosilawati and three others when such terrible crimes came to light on Sept. 12, and in my first press conference in Kota Kinabalu on Sept. 15 on my return to Malaysia from the Shanghai World Expo, I had also denounced in the strongest possible terms the heinous, gruesome crimes of the mass murders of Sosilawati and three others.

What is the use of Tsu Koon preaching about 1Malaysia when he dared not denounce the gutter journalism practised by Utusan Malaysia?

I join the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in congratulating the police for their efficiency in solving the mass murders of Datuk Sosilawati and three others.

The Federal CID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin is on public record as saying that the police have established a strong case against the two lawyer brothers and six others over the murder of the cosmetic millionaire and her three associates, and expect to submit their report on the murders to the Attorney-General’s Chambers in the coming week.

Malaysians regardless of race, religion or political affiliation demands speedy justice to be meted out to the mass murderers who should not expect any mercy for their horrific crimes.

With the police halting evidence gathering at the farm in Ladang Gadong where the murders allegedly took place and Sungai Panchau where their bodies were believed to have been burnt and dumped, the time has come for the authorities to address the other public concern arising from the mass murders of Sosilawati and the three others.

This is the shocking police inaction over numerous police reports lodged against the two lawyer brothers linked to the Sosilawati mass murders going as far back as 2005, involving fraud, criminal breach of trust, missing persons and murder, and the public concern that Sosilawati and the three other victims would still be alive today if the police had acted efficiently and professionally on these police reports.

In yesterday’s Star, Comm Mohd Bakri was asked whether an internal investigation would be conducted on the lack of action on previous missing person reports before the high-profile murder of Sosilawati emerged, and he replied: “Let us focus on the murders first.”

With the police finalising their reports to the Attorney-General on the Sosilawati mass murders, focus must now return to the question whether Sosilawati and the three others would still be alive today if the police had acted efficiently and professionally on the spate of serious police reports against the two lawyer brothers and why there had been no police action to protect the public since the first police report against the lawyer brothers was lodged five years ago in 2005.

There can be no denial that the efficiency of the police action in solving the Sosilawati mass murders cannot undo the grave damage to the country’s investment climate caused by adverse national and international media reports of how serious and rampant crimes had been allowed to go unchecked – with foreign media reports speculating that up to 20 people both local and foreign could have been killed and their bodies dumped into a river based on 300 bone fragments recovered in Sungai Panchau.

An internal police investigation is completely inadequate, unsatisfactory and unacceptable to restore both public and investor confidence and I call for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry to establish why no action had been taken on earlier police reports dating as far back as 2005 against the lawyer brothers linked to the mass murders of Datuk Sosilawati and three others.

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