What on earth is going on in Lumut naval base?

No doubt the list of things that needs fixing in Malaysia is long. It’s not surprising that media and public attention often focuses on the trillions lost and owed, or on superyachts of unimaginable luxury.

While anything related to the economy affects a large group of people in small to large ways, there are also cases and incidents that do not garner as much attention, but affect the lives of a smaller group of people in the biggest ways possible.

Ten days after the 14th general election, navy cadet Soosaimanicckam Joseph, 27, was found dead a week after he enlisted and began his training at the Lumut naval base.

As the Malaysiakini report states: “Surendran also read out to reporters a WhatsApp message sent by Soosai to his brother the day after he was enrolled into the naval base, in which he had alleged torture.

"‘We all tortured until 4am. Sleep only give one hour, but I did not sleep the one hour given, noisy (sic),’ the message read.

“Such allegations raised questions as to what was really going on at the naval base, noted Surendran.

“‘What sort of training is being done there? What sort of regiment is being carried out there? How can a perfectly healthy young man drop dead after only being there for seven days?

“‘What I find remarkable is that this (issue) has remained quiet and the navy is not able to give any kind of explanation to the family. I mean, they just lost a young man with his future ahead of him,’ Surendran (photo) said, adding that Soosai was a recent electrical engineering graduate.

“‘Soosai's eldest brother Charles Joseph told reporters the deceased held a high-paying engineering job, but had wanted to get into the navy for the past five years, as he has always wanted to serve the country.’”

No firm and transparent action

This was not an isolated incident.

At the same base, almost a year ago, seamen Nik Muhammad Baihaqy Nik Mat and Muhammad Lailatulman Mohd Sukri died after being assaulted based on post-mortem reports from the Permaisuri Bainun Hospital Pathology Department.

“The post-mortem on Nik Muhammad Baihaqy revealed death due to bleeding of the lungs caused by blunt trauma, while Muhammad Lailatuliman died due to lung bleeding and blunt trauma on the soft tissues.”

What on earth is going on in the Lumut naval base?

Months later, “investigations” and probes into Soosai’s death do not seem to have amounted to anything.

This lack of firm and transparent action may be the most worrying thing of all, because swift justice is one of the most effective deterrents of a repeat death.

Chaos and confusion at the AGC?

If this scenario sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve had countless deaths in custody in Malaysia, where similar themes crop up time and again.

This was all par for the course under BN, and now at this crucial juncture, where the new Pakatan Harapan government sets the tone for its term, we all worry about a lack of genuine change.

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Take, for instance, the case of Syed Mohd Azlan Syed Mohamed Nur. The 25-year-old welder was arrested on Nov 3, 2014 in Sungai Rengit, and died in police custody hours later.

Three police officers were charged with culpable homicide, but were acquitted by the Kota Tinggi Sessions Court. The appeal against the acquittal by the Attorney General’s Chambers was to be heard at the Johor Baru High Court last month.

Azlan’s family also filed a civil suit against the government. The AGC originally refused to represent the police officers on the grounds that they had committed this wrongdoing of their own accord, a position consistent with their High Court appeal.

But in a mind-boggling turn of events, the AGC now says that they do want to represent the three officers.

In what world can this be logical, where one part of the AGC wants to both continue prosecuting the accused in a criminal court, and defend them in a civil court?

1MDB is not the only case that matters

Some have the impression that attorney-general Tommy Thomas was elevated to his position for the expertise he can bring to the table in the 1MDB case. This is all well and good, and it is fair for the government to make this case a priority.

But there is no justification whatsoever that this priority should come at the expense of other matters of justice.

Thomas (photo) is the AG of Malaysia, not the AG of the 1MDB case. Under no circumstances should he allow the rest of the AGC to run around without clear direction – uncertain as to the guiding principles that should inform the execution of their duties – while he focuses on one case to the exclusion of all else.

In this chaos, we may have some elements within the AGC that intend to run cases exactly the way they were during BN’s time. The handling of the Azlan case certainly suggests as much.

An AGC that is led by a firm, purposeful hand, should take a clear, consistent position not only on this case, but in all cases.

Again, while there are some cases that affect a big group of Malaysians in many little ways, there are cases that affect a small group of Malaysians in the biggest ways possible – literally questions of life and death.

Thomas also recently remarked that the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 will indeed be abolished – that it was only a matter of time.

This is not the most confidence-inspiring answer. The problem with such statements is its recyclability – without specific deadlines, a government official could peddle such a line till kingdom come.

The recent hunger strike by Sosma detainees show that it is one thing for an official or a government to put things off so that they can pursue whatever they feel is more important, but it is quite another for those who have to suffer as a result.

The “matter of time,” as it were, is different for those sitting in Putrajaya, then it is for those sitting in Sungai Buloh.

Do we really care?

Ultimately, it comes down to a matter of attitude.

Perhaps those in power are able to be distracted by ‘bigger priorities’, because the victims here are Azlan, Soosai, and the Sosma detainees – not their own sons, husbands or fathers.

Or perhaps we think it’s simply no big deal for Malaysians who are given power over other Malaysians to beat and torture them.

This is also suggested by the debate surrounding Abdul Rahim Noor’s appointment as a facilitator for southern Thai peace talks.

The former inspector-general of police’s declaration that the past is the past is odious in its apparent lack of remorse, and disturbing in the precedent it sets.

Here we are trying our best to stop police from beating people in detention to death, and we now want to elevate a former IGP – the number one cop in the country – who himself was jailed for beating the deputy prime minister while he was in jail.

It defies belief.

Yes, we are all concerned about the rot and corruption, and about the trillions we have lost or owe.

Still, we can only hope that our new government is not so high in its tower to realise that for many Malaysians, no amount of money is comparable to the lives and health of their loved ones.

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NATHANIEL TAN appreciates fellow columnist S Thayarapan’s article on Soosaimanicckam. - Mkini