Malaysian Mirror
A BN's drive to discredit PR?
Notwithstanding a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the MACC methods of questioning, also ordered by Najib, there appears to be widespread consensus that the anti-corruption body had used forceful techniques to get its answers from witnesses.
Opponents of the Najib-led federal administration say the events that led to Teoh's death gave credence to their belief that Teoh's interrogation was part of a Barisan Nasional drive to discredit Pakatan politicians after their success in the March 2008 elections.
Admittedly, the ruling coalition's confidence was shaken after it lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time in five decades.
But Najib and his federal colleagues said this should not be used to accuse the ruling coalition of taking revenge on the opposition through the MACC and the late Teoh.
At the time of Teoh's death, Najib's government was less than four months old but it had introduced a series of economic reforms to woo the people under a “1Malaysia” concept.
Meantime, several side issues had surfaced from the inquest, one of which was the long hours of interrogation Teoh was subjected to by MACC officers.
The most contentious side issue was a so-called mystery letter delivered on Aug 18 to lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, who is holding a watching brief for Teoh's family.
The letter was sent by anonymous parties claiming to be MACC officers who urged the authorities to probe a senior MACC official for corruption and the involvement of a politician in Teoh's death.
No adequate clarification
Former Selangor mentri besar Dr Khir Toyo, whose name was stated in the letter, denied allegations in it that he was involved in a so-called conspiracy with an MACC official to bring down the state government.
In August, a video of men in uniform assaulting a person in their custody began circulating as a supposed video of Teoh's interrogation.
The Bukit Aman federal police headquarters denied they were policemen and ruled out the possibility that it involved Teoh as the video had already started to make the rounds in June.
A political observer attributed the video's popularity to the government's alleged failing to provide adequate clarification about the circumstances of Teoh's interrogation.
"The authorities are shedding little light about what happened to Teoh. This allows rumour mongers to spread ridiculous things," he said.
That, in essence, has kept the inquest very much in the media spotlight.
The Malaysian Mirror unequivocally picks the Teoh Beng Hock inquest as the Top Story for 2009.
THE INQUEST into the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock is a continuing saga of monumental political intrigue. It implicates the workings of a prominent federal institution and rallies people from all backgrounds to the cause of justice.
To recap, Teoh fell nine stories to his death from the Shah Alam office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in July.
His body was found on July 16 on the fifth floor of the Plaza Masalam building, a day after he was questioned by the MACC over allegations of financial abuses in the Selangor administration.
The inquest into his death, ordered by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak following suspicions of foul play by Teoh's family and several other groups, led to two autopsies and a continuing search for answers.
To recap, Teoh fell nine stories to his death from the Shah Alam office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in July.
His body was found on July 16 on the fifth floor of the Plaza Masalam building, a day after he was questioned by the MACC over allegations of financial abuses in the Selangor administration.
The inquest into his death, ordered by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak following suspicions of foul play by Teoh's family and several other groups, led to two autopsies and a continuing search for answers.
A BN's drive to discredit PR?
Notwithstanding a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the MACC methods of questioning, also ordered by Najib, there appears to be widespread consensus that the anti-corruption body had used forceful techniques to get its answers from witnesses.
Opponents of the Najib-led federal administration say the events that led to Teoh's death gave credence to their belief that Teoh's interrogation was part of a Barisan Nasional drive to discredit Pakatan politicians after their success in the March 2008 elections.
Admittedly, the ruling coalition's confidence was shaken after it lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time in five decades.
But Najib and his federal colleagues said this should not be used to accuse the ruling coalition of taking revenge on the opposition through the MACC and the late Teoh.
At the time of Teoh's death, Najib's government was less than four months old but it had introduced a series of economic reforms to woo the people under a “1Malaysia” concept.
Meantime, several side issues had surfaced from the inquest, one of which was the long hours of interrogation Teoh was subjected to by MACC officers.
The most contentious side issue was a so-called mystery letter delivered on Aug 18 to lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, who is holding a watching brief for Teoh's family.
The letter was sent by anonymous parties claiming to be MACC officers who urged the authorities to probe a senior MACC official for corruption and the involvement of a politician in Teoh's death.
No adequate clarification
Former Selangor mentri besar Dr Khir Toyo, whose name was stated in the letter, denied allegations in it that he was involved in a so-called conspiracy with an MACC official to bring down the state government.
In August, a video of men in uniform assaulting a person in their custody began circulating as a supposed video of Teoh's interrogation.
The Bukit Aman federal police headquarters denied they were policemen and ruled out the possibility that it involved Teoh as the video had already started to make the rounds in June.
A political observer attributed the video's popularity to the government's alleged failing to provide adequate clarification about the circumstances of Teoh's interrogation.
"The authorities are shedding little light about what happened to Teoh. This allows rumour mongers to spread ridiculous things," he said.
That, in essence, has kept the inquest very much in the media spotlight.
The Malaysian Mirror unequivocally picks the Teoh Beng Hock inquest as the Top Story for 2009.
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