Few options left for theTeohs: Why is BN protecting the MACC trio

The current government seems suspiciously bent on sending the Teoh Beng Hock case into oblivion and making sure that it can be forgotten as soon as possible. There is no real motivation to seek the truth nor is there any real effort to bring those guilty of killing him or forcing him to kill himself to justice.

This was evident when Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Nazri Aziz, was caught red handed while attempting to explain away why the police have not launched any criminal investigation against the three MACC officers named by the Royal Commission of Inquiry as being involved in Teoh’s death.

A terrible lie

Nazri had explained in Parliament that the Attorney-General could not charge the three officers because the police had not received any complaints requesting an investigation into the three officers named in the RCI. However, two DAP members who are also Klang councilors immediately rebuked the Minister for his lie, revealing that they had lodged a police report requesting a probe into whether the three MACC officers were directly or indirectly involved in Beng Hock’s death.

Nazri's attempt at creating an excuse for the police for their inaction indicates clearly the BN government’s evil motive to hide the truth from the public. The Teoh RCI clearly states that the three MACC officers contributed to the sudden death of Teoh. Thus, a police investigation would help bring to light the motives behind the harsh techniques employed by the trio and also explain their overzealous investigation into a lowly political aide, which Teoh had been. Indeed, a police investigation may reveal the ties that run, probably all the way to Putrajaya via Selangor Umno.

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A police investigation into the three MACC officers would also help to offer closure to all involved, from the Teoh family, the MACC and the Najib administration itself. A properly conducted probe would ascertain if the MACC officers were out-of-line in their questioning methods and to what extent did they exceed their authority to cause Beng Hock's death. Did it border on murder? This must surely be the key question on everyone's mind.

Bordering on murder?

The Najib administration's denial of justice to the Teoh family will also take its toll on them. They are running out of judicial options to gain some measure of justice. There is really nothing much they can do, unless the courts decide to act independently of the Executive and pursue the truth and nothing but the truth.

That there has been a systematic and intentional push by the BN to bury the Teoh Beng Hock case is real; what is the government trying to hide? Was Teoh a mere stepping stone to establish a foothold in the Umno push to take back control of the Selangor government?

Embezzlement and corruption charges could have been easily trumped up against Pakatan Rakyat leaders with a forced confession from Teoh and this would have formed the crust of the BN’s takover bid for Selangor, much like what Prime Minister Najib Razak did in Perak. Up till the time of Teoh’s detainment and subsequent death, the BN government was hell-bent on snatching Selangor back - at all costs as Najib had vowed!

Teoh a pawn in Umno's ruthless politicking

It can be inferred that Teoh was likely to have been a means to an end. Hence the cast-iron lock on the case and everything possible being done to protect the MACC trio. With Teoh's death, the sudden rush to whip up embezzlement charges against several Pakatan Rakyat leaders began to flounder and the modus operandi to take over Selangor has changed. Umno has now been accused of offering citizenships for votes to foreign workers.

With Selangor performing better financially under the Pakatan rule, as stated in the Auditor-General's report, BN is finding it harder to gain any foothold the 'honest' way. The timing advantage has been lost to the BN and it now needs slapdash methods. It also needs to cover-up its past trails at all costs from the Malaysian public. And the BN government is good at covering up their shoddy businesses.

Maybe this is what Nazri Aziz, the police, the courts, the RCI panel and in fact the whole justice system of Malaysia are trying to hide from the rest if the country. But whether of Chinese descent or not, most Malaysians have already made up their minds about who is guilty - something for the overly complacent and lethargic Prime Minister Najib Razak to note.

Altantuya

There is another similar case that is suffering the fate as Teoh - the Altantuya murder case. Both cases have revealed the double standard handiwork of the BN government, and all the civil and public apparatus at its disposal. In both cases, the police have not only been caught dragging their feet, they outright shut their eyes to the facts that stare at them. And this also reflects the mind-set of the police masters who seem hell-bent in allowing these cases to fade from the memories of everyday Malaysians. Justice for the victims is no nowhere on their radar.

While swift action is taken against opposition leaders - Lim Guan Eng and Mat Sabu come to mind - little if not no action is taken by the police against the MACC officers involved in Teoh’s death. It is amazing that in December 2009, when DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng uttered the words “Beng Hock was murdered” at the party's annual convention, the Selangor police were themselves the first to lodge a report, threatening to investigate Guan Eng under the Sedition Act, 1948, no less.

The same can be said for Mat Sabu, the PAS deputy president, when again it was the police themselves who were super-quick in lodging a report over his Bukit Kepong speech. The report has resulted in criminal defamation charges against Sabu, who is due to go to court next month.

Trust destroyed

Yet, here we have the de-facto law minister, lying in Parliament that no police report was ever lodged to investigate the three MACC officers! There is only one conclusion to be made of all these innuendos and drama by the BN government. They have something to hide and they are willing to do anything to cover the lie and bury Teoh’s death.

Why and what are they hiding is anyone’s guess for now, but it’s a slap in the face for any talk that Malaysia is a nation that practices the tenets of fairness and justice. Malays, in particular, should then question themselves, can they trust a government that habitually lies to cover up their own faults?

Malaysia Chronicle

Train, fuel tanker crash triggers explosion in Kota Kinabalu

UPDATED @ 11:36:56 PM 31-10-2011

October 31, 2011

A crowd gathers to watch the inferno at the scene of the crash between a train and a fuel tanker in Kota Kinabalu, October 31, 2011.

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 31 — A Sabah Railways train and a road fuel tanker collided this evening, causing a huge explosion at Jalan Kepayan-Jalan Lintas junction near the Kota Kinabalu international airport here.

According to Bernama Online, at least eight people — including both the train and tanker drivers — were injured in the incident that occured around 5.30pm.

The casualties were sent to the nearby Queen Elizabeth Hospital for attention. No fatalities have been recorded so far.

Fire and rescue services were deployed to the scene shortly after the crash, but found on arrival that most of the passengers had managed to escape from the stricken train unaided.

TheStar Online reported that 34 passengers were still unaccounted for, although police confirmed that none remained onboard the train carriages. Authorities are reportedly searching the area for those missing.

According to Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib, the fully-laden tanker was attempting to cross the railway tracks to reach a fuel station where it was making a delivery, but was unable to clear the tracks in time to avoid the approaching train.

The impact triggered a derailment of the train, leading to one of the carriages crashing onto the tanker and sparking the raging inferno and subsequent blast.

The tanker driver has been taken into police custody for questioning, Hamza added.

A Sabah Railways spokesman later described the crossing as illegal.

A witness who arrived shortly after the crash, Busri Asad, 39, told Bernama Online of scenes of chaos as passengers fled the burning train.

“I also saw people running to the back of the carriages. About 10 minutes after the collision, there was an explosion and a massive fire broke out,” he said.

The sight of the burning wreckage on the site brought traffic flow along both roads to a near halt.

Sabah Railways operates the sole rail service in the region, spanning from Tanjung Aru to Tenom in the state’s interior. Today’s mishap was described as the worst in the over a century old service’s history.

* The following YouTube video of the crash is not verified.

WIKILEAKS: IMMIGRATION DETAINEES RIOT AFTER RELA BEATS PRISONERS

On April 20, after more cigarettes were found, Immigration officers beat an Indonesian and a Pakistani detainee. One refugee described how the officers struck the men on the soles of their feet and along their shins, and administered electric shocks. The Pakistani detainee reportedly cried out for help during his beating and, unable to walk, tried to crawl away until another detainee was ordered to drag the injured man back to the detention block.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Classified By: POLITICAL SECTION CHIEF MARK D. CLARK, REASON 1.4 (B AND D).

Summary

1. (C) Some 60 to 70 detained suspected illegal immigrants rioted at Lenggeng Immigration Detention Center (IDC) on April 21, setting fire to the temporary administration building according to press and firsthand accounts. Malaysia's Head of Immigration Enforcement claimed the riot started after the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) refused the refugees' applications for resettlement, an allegation denied by UNHCR.

Based on multiple witnesses' accounts, the riot's catalyst was the severe beatings of detainees by Immigration Officers and People's Volunteer Corps (RELA) members assigned as guards to Lenggeng. The Malaysian Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) told us deplorable conditions, overcrowding and alleged abuses by RELA all contributed to the riot. We continue to express concern to the GOM regarding RELA's increased authority over immigration enforcement. End Summary.

RELA Guards Overcrowded Facilities

2. (SBU) Lenggeng IDC is one of 17 IDCs in Malaysia. Formerly operated by the Prisons Department, the IDCs are now responsibility of the Immigration Department, which lacks sufficient personnel and therefore uses RELA, a government-sponsored public security auxiliary force, to guard the facilities (ref A and B). Besides providing security, RELA members also arrest suspected illegal immigrants for a bounty.

The Lenggeng facility is severely overcrowded. Siva Subramaniam, a commissioner for SUHAKAM, informed poloffs the camp currently holds 1,090 prisoners, including seven children and about 280 women. Building tensions between the detainees and their guards came to a head on April 21 when some 60 - 70 detainees rioted and set fire to a temporary administration building.

Witnesses Tell Their Stories

3. (SBU) Poloffs met with two Burmese refugees formerly detained at Lenggeng on May 6. They related that on or about March 31, Immigration and RELA guards accused a group of Burmese and Indonesians of smoking in camp and allegedly punished the group with a beating.

On April 20, after more cigarettes were found, Immigration officers beat an Indonesian and a Pakistani detainee. One refugee described how the officers struck the men on the soles of their feet and along their shins, and administered electric shocks. The Pakistani detainee reportedly cried out for help during his beating and, unable to walk, tried to crawl away until another detainee was ordered to drag the injured man back to the detention block.

Other detainees became agitated and demanded to speak with the senior Immigration Officer.

(Note: A local NGO informed poloffs that officials took the man to Seremban Hospital for treatment. End note.)

A RELA officer told detainees they could express their concerns the following morning.

4. (C) According to the two Burmese refugees, the riot broke out the following morning after detainees realized they would not get to speak with the senior officer. The initial disruption involved detainees from two blocks destroying the interiors of those facilities.

Both Immigration and RELA guards, totaling about 30-40 officers, fled and took up positions at the camp's perimeter. After detainees broke through the blocks' doors, a group set fire to the temporary administration building.

Several detainees attempted to flee the compound, but guards at the outer gate stopped them. Police, fire, and other security teams regained control and quelled the fire. A number of detainees (including six Indonesians, five Burmese, a Vietnamese, and a Cambodian) were taken to the Seremban police station for questioning.

(Note: This account tracks closely with accounts provided to the UNHCR and another local NGO from sources within the camp. End note.)

Immigration Blames UNHCR

5. (SBU) Ishak Mohamed, Head of Immigration Enforcement, quickly blamed the UNHCR for the riot. He told international press that rioters "were disappointed" after hearing that UNHCR could not place them in a third country. However, the UNHCR quickly denied this, issuing a statement that "no news was delivered to the refugees that their resettlement requests had been denied."

(Note: UNHCR counted 75 refugees and asylum seekers detained at Lenggeng during the riot. All but seven refugees are Chin-Burmese. End note.)

Despite UNHCR's clarification, the government-influenced mainstream media continued to maintain that UNHCR's denial of resettlement provoked the riot. (Note: On some other immigration matters, Ishak continues to be accessible and helpful to the U.S. Mission. End Note.)

SUHAKAM Commissioner Describes Lenggeng

6. (C) Poloffs met with SUHAKAM Commissioner Siva Subramaniam on April 25, the day after he personally visited Lenggeng. He described prisoners living in severely overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. About 280 women are detained in an isolated section of the camp and do not receive adequate medical care, including provision of sanitary napkins. He approached NGOs, such as Tenaganita, to obtain basic essentials for the women.

He told us conditions in other IDCs are similar to Lenggeng. He believes overcrowding and harsh treatment by RELA contributed to the riot. Siva also noted severe understaffing at the IDCs, adding that only about 40 of the authorized 208 officer slots at Lenggeng are manned. Prior to the riot, Siva claims he warned Immigration officials that the IDCs were "powder kegs" needing urgent reforms to deal with the growing burden.

Siva wants to hold a roundtable with RELA, Home Ministry, Immigration, and the Prison Department to discuss possible solutions to the underlying problems, such as overcrowding, poor sanitation, and detained children. Our May 6 interview with two former detainees at Lenggeng reinforced Siva's description of the IDC's harsh conditions.

Comment

7. (C) The riot occurred during the same week the Home Ministry proposed elevating RELA to a formal government agency. Immigration and RELA detain suspected illegal immigrants at a rate that outstrips Malaysia's current willingness and ability to expeditiously process deportations. Siva noted that some of the detainees have languished at Lenggeng for almost 1 1/2 years. Post continues to express our concerns about RELA in contacts with government officials, including Immigration.

KEITH (May 2008)