DAP: Charge MACC trio and apologise to Teoh’s family

By Melissa Chi

July 24, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

Kulasegaran: Their behaviour should not be taken as a case of mere breaching disciplinary rules.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — DAP wants the three suspended anti-graft officers charged in court, and an apology from the government to the late Teoh Beng Hock’s family.

DAP National Vice Chairman M Kulasegaran said the officers’ actions were not “mere breaching (of) disciplinary rules”, in a speech text emailed to The Malaysian Insider today.

“Since three MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) officers have been singled out by the RCI as being responsible for driving Beng Hock to suicide, the government must be prepared to take the sternest action against them.

“They had caused a family to lose a son, a child to lose a father and a wife to lose her life companion. Their behaviour should not be taken as a case of mere breaching disciplinary rules,” he said.

The Ipoh Barat MP said an open apology must be issued and the government compensating Teoh’s family.

MACC suspended three officers who were said to have pressured Teoh, the DAP aide, into committing suicide in 2009 yesterday.

MACC said the trio’s suspension is pending the outcome of an internal probe on the findings of the just-released Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report into Teoh’s death.

The RCI report into Teoh’s death, released three days ago, ruled that the DAP aide had committed suicide as a result of pressure from aggressive and prolonged questioning by MACC officers.

The officers had purportedly wanted to pressure Teoh into becoming a witness in their case against his boss, Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, for alleged abuse of public funds.

The RCI had also found fault with the MACC’s techniques, saying that the graft officers on Teoh’s case were not only brutal during interrogation but also had poor interview skills and viewed witnesses and suspects as “the enemy”.

Kulasegaran pointed out that March 8, 2008 was a historic day because “multi racial Malaysians who have long yearned for political change came together and created a political tsunami” which caused BN to suffer its worst ever electoral defeat.

“It was a day when Malay, Indian and Chinese voters decided that enough was enough and courageously voted for change. July 9, 2011 is going to go down in history as a historic day,” he said.

Kulasegaran said there can be no “true, healthy and vibrant democracy” if the people’s right to peaceful gathering is denied, referring to the recent outlawed Bersih 2.0 rally.

“Similarly, free and fair election is a necessary condition for a true democracy. Not long ago, MCA President Datuk Chua Soi Lek said that MCA will not accept government posts at all levels if MCA does not improve its performance in the next general election.

“This is but a tactic to frighten and threaten the Chinese voters. Gerakan used to frighten the Penang Chinese voters that a weakened Gerakan could mean a weakened chief minister or the loss of the Chinese chief ministership,” he said.