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Thursday, 27 January 2011

Commission of Inquiry names six-man panel to look into Teoh’s death

The Star
by MAZWIN NIK ANIS, YUEN MEIKENG and ALLISON LAI

PUTRAJAYA: The Commission of Inquiry into the Teoh Beng Hock case will determine if there was any impropriety when the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigated the political aide.

The commission, headed by Federal Court judge Tan Sri James Foong Cheng Yuen, will also enquire into Teoh’s death and the circumstances surrounding and contributing to it.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who announced the appointment of the panel members, said Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin had consented to the Government’s proposal to set up the commission under the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1950.

The other members of the commission are former Federal Court judge Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman, former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Selventhiranathan Thiagarajah, Penang Hospital’s senior consultant forensic pathologist Datuk Dr Bhupinder Singh and Cyberjaya University College of Medical Science’s dean of medical faculty Dr Mohamed Hatta Shaharom.

The Prime Minister’s Department’s Legal Affairs division director-general Datuk Saripuddin Kasim is the commission secretary.

“The terms of reference of the commission is to enquire whether or not there was any impropriety in the conduct of the examination of Teoh in the course of an investigation by the MACC in relation to its standing orders and practices.

“It will also enquire into Teoh’s death and the circumstances surrounding and contributing to his death,” the Prime Minister said in a statement yesterday.

Najib said the commission was required to complete its investigation within three months of its members receiving their appointment letters. Their report would be presented to the King after that.

Deputy head of the Attorney-General’s Chambers civil division Amarjeet Singh and DPPs Awang Amardajaya Awang Mahmud and Kwan Li Sa have been appointed as the conducting officers for the commission.

On Jan 7, Najib had announced the setting up of a Commission of Inquiry to determine if there was any abuse in procedures by the MACC when handling the case and if there was a violation of human rights.

The announcement was made after the Coroner’s Court returned an open verdict on Jan 5 as Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas found there was insufficient evidence to prove that the political aide’s death was homicide. He also ruled out suicide.

Commission of Inquiry into Teoh Beng Hock’s death

The scope of reference of the commission are: Whether or not there was any impropriety in the MACC’s conduct during its examination of Teoh in 2009; and to enquire into the death of Teoh and the circumstances surrounding and contributing to his death.

Members of the commission

Federal Court judge Tan Sri James Foong Cheng Yuen

(head of the commission)

Born on Feb 25, 1946 in Kuala Lumpur.

He was educated at the Methodist Boys School, Kuala Lumpur and graduated in law from the University of London in 1969.

Foong served as a judicial commissioner in 1990.

He was made a judge at the Court of Appeal in 2005 and later, a Federal Court judge in 2009.

Former Federal Court judge Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman

Born on Sept 29, 1939 and hails from Bukit Meriam, Kedah. He was a junior assistant commissioner in the Labour Ministry in 1960 before taking up a law degree at The Middle Temple, London in 1968.

Abdul Kadir served as the Chief Judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in 1995.

In 2005, he was appointed Federal Court judge until he retired in March 2006.

Former Court of Appeal judge Datuk T. Selventhiranathan

He acted as the head of the civil division for the Attorney-General’s Chambers from 1985 to 1991.

Selventhiranathan was appointed as a High Court judge in 1995.

He was appointed Court of Appeal judge in 2009.

Penang Hospital senior consultant forensic pathologist Datuk Dr Bhupinder Singh

He graduated from the Delhi University, India, in 1978.

He obtained his Legal Medicine diploma and Medical Jurisprudence in Pathology diploma from the University of Leeds and University of London in 1990 and 1992 respectively.

He was appointed the northern region Forensic Institute director in April 2005.

Cyberjaya University College of Medical Science’s dean and consultant forensic psychiatrist Prof Dr Mohamed Hatta Shaharom

He obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the Cairo University, Egypt in 1981.

He obtained his master’s degree in medicine (psychiatry) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1989.

In 2003, he became a fellow at the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia.

PM’s Department legal affairs division director- general Datuk Saripuddin Kasim

(secretary of the commission)

He obtained his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Hartford, United States and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Malaya.

He joined the public service in 1984 and was appointed the PM’s Department legal affairs division director-general on Sept 15 last year.

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