theSun | MONDAY AUGUST 3 2009
Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688
speak up!
On the move ... a section of anti-ISA protesters near the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
tracks, places like India, Malaysia
and many others would still be
colonies today, apartheid would still
be thriving in South Africa, Nelson
Mandela would still be scribbling
on the walls of Cell 5, and Obama
would probably be a slave some-
where in Mississippi plotting to
make his next midnight dash for
the river.
And because liberty, freedom
and dignity are not free vouchers
posted out to each household. They
do not come to those who just sit
millions in taxpayers’
money. Enough has
been said and writ-
ten. This is the
right opportunity
for our enforce-
ment agencies
to dispel any
notion that they
practise selec-
tive prosecu-
tion.
The three re-
ports on the biggest
financial scandal
– even bigger than the
Bumiputra Malaysia Fi-
nance case of the eighties – provide
more than a starting point. They
provide accurate and authoritative
information, complete with dates,
times, events and even documents
to warrant immediate prosecution.
How about demanding explana-
tions from the former chairmen and
members of the board under whom
these scandalous practices were
carried out? They can’t claim in-
nocence because even before these
three reports, the auditor-general in
his 2003 report had already warned
of the impending disaster.
The ad hoc committee has given
a damning report on their perform-
ance: “The numerous violations
of governance that are highlighted
are symptoms of the ineffectiveness
Looking for antiviral drugs
I REFER to “Docs told to be more
alert and suspicious” (July 30).
Presently, the two companies
distributing antiviral drugs in
Malaysia have run out of stock
and are not even taking purchase
orders since they are unsure
when new stock will arrive.
The Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention in the
United States advises that anti-
viral therapy should be started
within 48 hours of the onset of
and wait. They have to be fought
for, and gained.
And if you still want to ask:
why march; I can go on and on
until the last tree is felled. But I shall
obviously not.
I will end with the following
lines from one of the songs sung in
the 1960s by civil rights marchers
in the US, without whom Obama
would not be able to even sit with
the whites in a bus, let alone reside
in the White House:
of the boards in the past and the
lack of submission to the boards’
authority by the chief executive/
general manager of PKA. Foremost,
it reflects a gross negligence of past
board members in not discharging
their fiduciary duty diligently.
There are enough provisions in
the Companies Act and other pieces
of legislation to start with this.
They were appointed to the posts
as trustees of public money and
their primary duty was to ensure
that public funds are disbursed for
specific purposes and not to line the
pockets of any selected individual.
Ironically, some of them are senior
civil servants and continue to oc-
cupy high places in government
service. Wouldn’t it be incumbent
on the chief secretary to the govern-
illness to have maximum benefit istry to ensure the availability of
(Interim guidance on antiviral: antiviral therapy only in selected
recommendations for patients centres, can the names of these
with novel influenza A (H1N1) hospitals be widely publicised
virus infection and their close so that patients with suspected
contacts; May 6. Available at H1N1 infection can go directly
www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recom- to them and not waste valuable
mendations.htm). time being accessed in places
The Health Ministry does have where antiviral treatment is not
a stockpile of antiviral drugs, but available?
it is distributed only to selected
public and private hospitals.
If it is the policy of the min-
TELLING IT AS IT IS
Managing Editor: Chong Cheng Hai
Consultant Editor: Zainon Ahmad
Executive Editor: Lee Boon Siew
General Manager, Advertising and Marketing: Charles Peters
Senior Manager, Production: Thomas Kang
Senior Manager, Distribution Channels: Joehari Abdul Jabbar
Deputy Editor: Patrick Choo (Production),
Editor: R. Nadeswaran (Special Reporting and Investiga-
tions)
ZULKIFLI ERSAL/THESUN
Disturbing pattern
of custodial deaths
ONCE is an accident,
twice is a coincidence and
three times is a pattern.
This well-worn maxim
springs to mind when re-
calling the deaths over a
nine-year period of more
than 2,000 Malaysians
and foreigners while
they were in the custody
of various authorities in
this country.
In a written reply to
MakingSens
a parliamentary ques- by Tan Siok Choo
tion, the Home Ministry
said 2,571 detainees have died of
illnesses, suicides and fights while
they were being held in Malaysian
prisons, rehabilitation centres and
illegal detention depots between
1999 and last year. During the
same period, 153 detainees died in
police custody, the ministry said in
the written reply.
This roll-call of deaths in
custody, coupled with the some-
times unsatisfactory official rea-
sons given for the cause of death,
“It isn’t nice to block the doorway highlights the biggest problem the
It isn’t nice to go to jail authorities face in handling public
There are nicer ways to do it outrage over Teoh Beng Hock’s
But the nice ways have all failed untimely demise – the authorities’
It isn’t nice; it isn’t nice lack of credibility.
You’ve told us once, you’ve told us Some would argue it is wrong to
twice say Teoh, the aide of Seri Kemban-
But if that’s freedom’s price gan state assemblyman Ean Yong
We don’t mind ...” Hian Wah, was in the custody of the
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Com-
mission (MACC) when he died.
Yeo Yang Poh is a former Bar Coun- However, the last time Teoh was
cil president. Comments: letters@ seen alive was on July 15 while he
thesundaily.com. was in the Selangor MACC’s offices
on the 14th or 15th floor of Plaza
Masalam in Shah Alam. And it is
undeniable he was alleged to have
ment to demand an ex- left the Selangor MACC’s premises
planation as to why they only after officials who were inter-
failed to exercise care and viewing him allowed him to do so.
caution in ensuring that Given the Selangor MACC’s
public money is spent moral responsibility for Teoh’s
wisely? well-being, the institution should
The chief secretary, disclose fully and without fear all
who is doing a brilliant the circumstances involving Teoh’s
job of transforming the untimely demise.
civil service, has to get Moreover, past instances of
these officials to answer deaths in custody are likely to add
for their actions or inac- to public disquiet. Aliran, a non-
tion. After all, as directors, governmental organisation (NGO),
they enjoyed the perks such studied 14 deaths in police custody
as allowances and having that occurred from March 1995 to
benefited, they cannot wash August 2002. Some of the 14 de-
their hands and claim that “we did ceased also showed signs of physi-
not know”. cal injuries. Official causes of death
There should be a concerted in these 14 cases included meningi-
effort by all parties concerned to tis, tuberculosis, liver failure due to
bring the crooks to book and if need alcohol, suicide and a heart attack.
be, recover the ill-gotten gains of a The last was the reason given for
few. Anything less would only lead the death of a healthy 27-year-old
the rakyat to come to the conclusion Indonesian national named Kasim
that the rich, the titled and famous Buadi, a finding questioned by the
can get away with anything. Indonesian embassy.
While Aliran acknowledged
some policemen were found
R. Nadeswaran will endeavour to responsible for three deaths out
finish what he started four years ago of these 14 cases, the NGO wrote
– making those responsible in the “cases such as these must raise the
PKFZ debacle to be accountable. He suspicion that there is something
is prepared to accept more brickbats seriously amiss in the police sys-
in this long and lonely battle. He is tem”.
editor (special and investigative re- This pattern of deaths – includ-
porting) at theSun. He can be reached ing another three deaths in police
at citizen-nades@thesundaily.com. custody since May last year
It should be Jabatan Insolvensi
I WISH to point out a factual error in
“Let the facts speak for themselves”
(CitizenNades, July 29). In the first
paragraph, it was stated “... clearance
from the Official Assignee’s Office.
Little did he know that such an office
does not exist and it is now known as
Amanah Rakyat.”
There was such a department 15
years ago. That was the official name
for the department known to the
layman as the “Bankruptcy Office”.
Helpless Doctor It is now called “Jabatan Insolvensi
Penang
13
Fax: 03-7785 2624/5
Email: newsdesk@thesundaily.com
Tel (Advertising): 03-7784 8888
Fax: 03-7784 4424
Email: advertise@thesundaily.com
– makes it essential the
terms of reference of the
Royal Commission of
Inquiry into the MACC’s
procedures should be
broadened to include
the circumstances
resulting in Teoh’s body
being found on the
5th floor roof of Plaza
Masalam on July 16.
While Attorney-
General Tan Sri Abdul
Gani Patail has ordered
an inquest – currently
being held to determine if anyone
was criminally liable for Teoh’s
death – the problem is some past
inquests were unsatisfactory.
Lee Quat Leong, a mechanic
with no previous criminal record
according to Aliran, was arrested
for a bank robbery and died in po-
lice custody on May 12, 1995. The
death certificate stated the cause of
death as “haemorrhage consistent
with blunt trauma to most parts of
the body”. In plain language, Lee
was beaten up.
Although a judicial inquiry
determined 11 policemen were
responsible for Lee’s death, only
two were charged and found
guilty of causing hurt to Lee. They
received 18-month sentences.
On appeal, these sentences were
doubled to 36 months.
Moreover, the public often have
a higher regard for a royal com-
mission than an inquest. Unlike an
inquest, instead of a single person,
decision-making in the commis-
sion is by a group of people often
selected because they enjoy high
public esteem.
Given the many unanswered
questions surrounding Teoh’s
death, the commission must ensure
the hearings on the MACC’s pro-
cedures satisfy the demands of the
highest court – the court of public
opinion.
Teoh’s death should be treated
by the government and the com-
mission as a loss of a life that held
the promise of imminent marriage
and fatherhood. Going forward, the
commission should be empowered
to ensure the procedures adopted
by the MACC, the police and other
regulatory bodies contain sufficient
safeguards to prevent unwarranted
deaths while in custody.
Teoh’s unborn child deserves
a better outcome than being left
fatherless at birth. Similarly, 28
million Malaysians also deserve a
satisfactory outcome. Unless care is
taken to assuage public anger over
Teoh’s death, the MACC – which
was intended to instill confidence
in the probity of government insti-
tutions – may find itself the target of
public odium.
Opinions expressed in this article
are the personal views of the writer
and should not be attributed to any
organisation she is connected with.
She can be contacted at siokchoo.
nsamail@gmail.com.
Malaysia” under the Prime Minister’s
Department. One of my siblings
worked in that department (located
then in Bangunan Bank Rakyat) until
the late 1980s.
The department should rightly be
known as Jabatan Insolvensi Malaysia.
Amanah Rakyat is the Public Trustee
Department which has different func-
tions.
Teh Seng Hin
Via email