PUTRAJAYA: Coming hot on the heels of the Teoh Beng Hock inquest verdict, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak today announced that a royal commission of inquiry would be formed.
However, the commission would not be determining how the former DAP political aide died after being questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The commission, said Najib, would focus on MACC’s investigative procedures and probe if Teoh’s rights had been violated during the interrogation.
“The commission’s terms of reference will be specific, which is to investigate MACC’s investigation procedure and whether it violates human rights,” he told a press conference here.
The commission, comprising respective public figures, would be given three months to complete its task and produce a report.
Najib also revealed that Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail was dissatisfied with the coroner returning an “open verdict” in Teoh’s inquest and was expected to file for a review of the decision.
In view of this, Teoh’s cause of death would not be included in the commission’s terms of reference.
Teoh was found dead, presumably after a fall, in front of the MACC’s Shah Alam office on July 16, 2009, after a marathon questioning session.
His family suspected that the former journalist could have been the victim of foul play and this prompted Najib to order an inquest.
After 18-months of proceedings and Teoh’s remains being exhumed for a second post-mortem, on Wednesday, Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas ruled out both suicide and homicide, drawing flak from various quarters.
Meanwhile, Najib said the royal commission would be formed under Section 2 of the Commissions of Enquiry Act 1950.
“We will announce the head and panel members of the commission next week after getting feedback from the Cabinet next Wednesday,” he added.
On the three month period given to the commission, the prime minister said the duration could be extended if necessary.
AG files for review
Najib also denied that the establishment of the commission was due to political pressure, saying that the decision to form the commission was made in July 2009.
He said although the commission could not guarantee in finding the reason behind Teoh’s death, it would however offer respite to his family that the government was serious in getting to the root cause of the issue.
“We all have to be mindful the laws of the country. We should not be carried away with our emotions. What is important is for us to know the truth. The government wants to know the truth. We will do our utmost to find out the truth…what really happened,” he said.
“I hope the family concerned… we sympathised with their position. We understand what they have gone through. We hope they will allow this process to take place and hopefully we will be able to establish what really happened,” he said.
The prime minister also said that he was willing to meet Teoh’s family.
“My personal view is not important. What is important is that the process of the review will take place (and) if there is a process of review it means that generally the government wants the decision to be reviewed,” he said when asked on his stand on the “open verdict”.
Bernama later reported that the AG filed an application to the Shah Alam High Court today for a revision of the open verdict.
“Having studied the verdict and in the light of concerns expressed at the verdict, a decision was made to apply to the High Court for revision of the same,” Gani said in a statement.
He added that the prime minister had been informed of the decision.
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