ARE WE TO SEE MORE CONTROVERSIES THIS YEAR?

In the true spirit of ‘Rakyat Di Dahulukan’, PM Najib is expected to announce the setting up of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCOI), following the disputable open verdict by the coroner following the inquest into the death of Teoh Beng Hock (TBH) in June last year, while in the custody of MACC.

I just could not believe that a learned coroner after a long and arduous trial, and having heard from numerous witnesses and experts (including foreign ones) could not pass a verdict to determine as to what cause the death of TBH. A blogger friend (rights2write) had in jest written that TBH might have been “struck by a lightning, and was thrown out of the window”. In the absence of truth, I would tend to believe the blogger. I suppose the coroner just had too much to swallow, and was not is the correct frame of mind to make the right verdict; hence the open verdict.

I do not know what good it is to convene the RCOI. We had seen one before i.e. the Lingam case and the outcome of the RCOI just simply fizzles out. Now, we hear Minister in PM Department Nazri Aziz had said that “Teoh’s family could file civil suit against MACC next”. Are we to believe that this time, the court can reach a verdict that can truly satisfy Teoh’s family?

If I were to believe in what the former investigating officer SAC Zain Ibrahim had written about AG Gani Patail and former IGP Musa Hassan dubious acts of fabricating evidence to prosecute Anuar Ibrahim in his first sodomy case, then I can positively say that filing a civil suit against MACC is a worthless case, unless the courts and the police investigators can prove otherwise. There have been far too many unresolved cases of death in police custody, without seeing anyone prosecuted.

While the controversy over the open verdict was still raging hot, a group calling themselves Gagasan Anti-Penyelewengan Selangor GAPS and PERKASA held a demonstration in front of the State Secretariat Building, over the reluctance of the State Government to accept the appointment of the new State Secretary. They accuse Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has betrayed the Sultan and demanded that the Menteri Besar resign. Am I not surprised that there were no water cannons or hooded police personals to disperse the demonstrators. I suppose they had a police permit to protest. How strange!!!!!!!

I do not know where these demonstrators were during the 1993 Constitutional Crisis when the government and its leaders were out to expose the excesses of the royalties. I clearly remembered news reports on TV showing the palatial homes of a particular ruler in Port Dickson. Other rulers too were not spared. But then, there were no GAPS, PERKASA or other Malay groups screaming ‘DERHAKA’. Why then do these groups decides to protest now, just because the Menteri Besar does not agree to the nomination of the new State Secretary, and the Sultan being made to abide a proposal by an agency of the federal government. Wasn’t it proper that the Sultan should listen to the advice of his Menteri Besar above others? And I think the actions of some who openly criticized the rulers then, were more serious and smacks of insults to our royalties.

This is just the beginning of the New Year, and I do not know what other controversies will crop up from now on. This makes me restless, and I dream of a day when this country is govern by level headed leaders. Wonder if that dream will ever be fulfilled.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION