AS the government has established a special team to probe the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, it should also set up the same to investigate the deaths of Teoh Beng Hock and others in custody, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said. 

He said while DAP welcomed Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s decision for a special committee to probe the Adib’s, death, similar investigations should also be undertaken to probe into the lives lost while in custody of the police and other authorities.

The government would appear to be motivated by politics or revenge if it were to only reopen investigation into the fireman’s death and neglect the others who had died under suspicious circumstances, he said.
 
“If there is a special task force on Adib, why is there no special task force on Teoh Beng Hock and other police custodial deaths?

“There is a need to seek justice on those who lost their lives whilst detained by either Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission or police. Every life is precious,” the Bagan MP said in a statement. 

In 2009, Teoh, political aide to then Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, hours after he had gone into the building for questioning by the Selangor Malaysian-Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) at its office on the 14th floor.

A royal commission of inquiry concluded that Teoh was driven to suicide by the aggressive interrogation methods used by MACC officers. It also blamed three officers for their aggressive methods, which it said had violated procedure.

Yesterday, Ismail said the government would form a special team to look into the death of Adib.

Fireman Adib, 24, sustained serious injuries during a riot at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Subang Jaya, Selangor, on November 27, 2018, and died 21 days later at the National Heart Institute.

The coroner’s inquest saw contradictory evidence being presented by forensic pathologists. And while the inquest concluded that his death was the result of a criminal act involving more than two people, it could not identify who the assailants were.

Police, who were told to reopen the case last year, had only recommended charges of unlawful assembly against the 12 suspects. 

Lim said the inception of a investigative task force was an open admission by the federal government that it had failed to resolve the case. 

He said the current leaders, when they were the opposition, had blamed the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government of for apprehending Adib’s murderers and charging them in court.

“Now that they are in government, they appear to have lost interest in Adib’s case over the last 20 months when no one was caught and charged for his murder. 

“Only when reminded by PH MPs repeatedly of their promises on Adib, (did) the government decide on this delaying tactic of setting up a special task force on Adib,” he said. 

Lim said that the government should also form a task force to investigate Attorney-General Idrus Harun if they were looking into his predecessor Tommy Thomas’ past record.

He said a former chief justice should head the task force to investigate the AG who has allegedly had abused his position on several occasions.

“Idrus Harun had attracted controversy over the dropping of charges of corruption and abuse of power of several politicians who support the current federal government.

“Idrus had also gone against the king’s wishes in disputing his command that Parliament should convene meetings and that the emergency proclamation should be debated and decided in Parliament. This misconduct is equally serious and should merit the investigations of a special task force headed by a former chief justice,” Lim said.

Yesterday, the government said a special task force will probe Thomas’ claims in his memoirs.

It said the team will investigate Thomas’ allegations of abuse of power in the appointment of judges, political interference in judicial decisions, selective and political prosecution, and violations against his oath of secrecy. – October 10, 2021.