Media statement by Ean Yong Hian Wah in Shah Alam on Friday, 27^th May 2011:

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the death of Teoh Beng Hock should reject the MACC's application if it does not provide a valid reason for the delay

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the death of Teoh Beng Hock should reject the MACC's application if it does not provide a valid reason for the delay.

According to the news reports the commission secretariat secretary Muhamad Bukhari Ab Hamid said the MACC submitted a letter via its' counsel Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at 3.40pm on Wednesday seeking an extension for the submission until tomorrow.

The date of submission has been agreed upon by all the parties concerned during the RCI hearing. Thus, the last-minute delay of submission is extremely unprofessional and not fair to the Bar Council as they have worked around the clock to meet the deadline. The last minute change has also stirred up suspicion. The Royal Commission should reject the application if the MACC does not provide a valid reason for the delay.

I want to know whether the MACC Chief Commissioner Dato' Abu Kassim Mohamed has given an official approval to Datuk Seri Shafee to delay the submission?

There is also an unanswered issue as to why MACC remains silent until today although a police report was lodged in 2009 concerning the "black blog" that appeared immediately after the death of Teoh Beng Hock.

It accused DAP of murdering Teoh and using this accusation of distracting public attention from the real cause of the death. In fact, there were several documents that appeared on the "black blog" and which were also tabled during the RCI by MACC during the hearing. I strongly believe that these were the leakages from the MACC.

I view these leakages seriously as part of important evidence which should be kept confidential by an enforcement agency that suppose to protect public interest but instead they created unfounded story by attacking the DAP as an attempt to cover up its' own shortcomings. Who in MACC responsible for the leakage? You don't need another Sherlock Holmes to zero in on the culprits who had committed the criminal act.

I urge the RCI to reopen the hearing for both the "black blog" and Selangor Customs assistant director Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed who died from fall at Federal Territory MACC office building.

* Ean Yong Hian Wah, DAP Selangor State Secretary & Selangor Exco for New Village Development and Illegal Factories