Kit Siang: Eve Open Letter to PM & Cabinet - Form RCI on Teoh Beng Hock's death

Open Letter to the Prime Minister and the entire Cabinet by DAP Parliamentary Leader and MP for Ipoh Timor Lim Kit Siang 15 hours before tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting

YAB Prime Minister,
YAB Deputy Prime Minister,
YB-YB Ministers.

Form three Royal Commissions of Inquiry, on Teoh Beng Hock’s death, the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal and to propose a blueprint to roll back the crime wave of the past five years to create a safe Malaysia

YABs and YBs,

It is seven hours since the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak returned from his overseas trip this morning, closeted with top police officers for half an hour immediately on his touchdown at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 11.15 am.

However in the past seven hours, there has been no announcement by Najib of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock, 30, the political secretary to Selangor DAP State Exco and State Assemblyman for Seri Kembangan, Ean Yong Han Wah who went to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Shah Alam to co-operate in its investigations but end up as a corpse at the MACC Hqrs last Thursday 16th July 2009.

Malaysians regardless of race or religion are deeply disappointed because the Prime Minister is not prepared to be as decisive as the former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who had announced an independent public inquiry into the police nude ear-squat scandal on his touchdown at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Subang on Monday, 28th November 2005 on his return from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta, well ahead of any Cabinet meeting!

Could it be that the Prime Minister, who is using all the latest Internet gadgets to take the pulse of the people on a 24/7 basis, being the first Malaysian Cabinet Minister and Prime Minister to use the twitter, had not been properly informed of the nation-wide shock, grief, anger and outrage at the unnecessary sacrifice of Teoh in MACC?

Hadn’t the Prime Minister been informed by all the MCA, Gerakan, MIC and even UMNO Ministers – as well as his new political secretary Dr. Oh Ei Sun – that it is not only the MACC and the Police which are on public trial, the very credibility, integrity of legitimacy of his premiership is also on trial?

Fearing this might be the case, I am issuing this Open Letter to the Prime Minister and the entire Cabinet on the eve of your weekly meeting to underline the national importance why there can be no procrastination tomorrow in the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Teoh Beng Hock’s mysterious death.

In fact, the Cabinet tomorrow should take the unprecedented and historic decision to form three Royal Commissions of Inquiry, on Teoh Beng Hock’s death, the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal and to review the Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission Report and to come out with a blueprint to roll back the crime wave in the past five years and create a safe Malaysia.

The announcement of the latest police findings after completing 60% of their investigations into Teoh’s death have raised even more questions and pressing reasons why a Royal Commission of Inquiry is imperative.

As announced by the Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar yesterday, police probe so far has revealed:

1. Teoh’s handphone was not with him when he died;

2. He died between 8am and 9am on Thursday;

3. He was believed to have fallen from the 14th floor window.

These police findings can only fuel more questions, as for instance, MACC investigations director Datuk Shukri Abdul had been reported in the media as saying that the handphone had been returned to Teoh. Now, Police said that the handphone had been with the investigating officer when MACC was already done with questioning Teoh, allegedly at 3.45 am on Thursday.

These are among a ton of other questions that can only be satisfactorily answered by a Royal Commission of Inquiry, formed in consultation with Pakatan Rakyat leaders with regard to its terms of reference and composition.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry should not be confined to investigate into the death of Teoh but be a wide-ranging remit for a total review of MACC’s investigation procedures and its ability to maintain its independence, professionalism and integrity from political interference.

In a wide-ranging interview with Sin Chew Daily last Thursday and a Sunday speech, MCA President and Transport Minister had made the most serious allegations ever about high-level corruption and abuses of power reaching all the way to the Cabinet, causing him to allege that corruption had emerged from the “darkness” into the open to do their evil work.

Why had both the MACC and Cabinet closed their eyes and ears to pretend Ong had never made such serious allegations of worsening corruption in the country, reaching all the way to the Cabinet?

The time has also come for the Cabinet to form two Royal Commissions of Inquiry , one into the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal, and the second, to roll back the tide of crime in the past five years by reviewing the 2005 Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission Report and to work out a blueprint to create a Malaysian police force which is efficient, incorruptible, professional and world-class committed to the three core functions to keep crime low, eradicate corruption and protect human rights of Malaysians.

All Malaysians are waiting for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to do what is right for the country and future generations by giving real meaning to the new administration’s motto of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now”.

Don’t disappoint Malaysians.

For “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now”?


Yours truly,
Lim Kit Siang
DAP Parliamentary Leader and MP for Ipoh Timor
21st July 2009
6.15 pm