DAP insists on criminal charges over Teoh’s death
UPDATED @ 02:26:58 PM 27-06-2012
Rasah MP Loke Siew Fook and Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching with Rumah Anak Teater representatives. — Pic by Choo Choo MayKUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — The DAP has scoffed at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) decision to punish its three officers implicated in Teoh Beng Hock's 2009 death, insisting that criminal charges must be brought against the trio.
MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed told reporters today that the commission would first make its recommendations to its complaints committee before meting out appropriate disciplinary action against the trio.
But lawmakers from the party, which Teoh worked for before falling to his death at the graftbusters' Selangor headquarters in Shah Alam, told a press conference that "anything short of criminal charges is unacceptable."
"What's the point? Someone died. There should be criminal charges," DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke said.
Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching, who is now a trustee for a fund to care for Teoh's son who was only born after his death, also questioned the severity of any action by the commission as former Selangor deputy director Hishammuddin Hashim has been promoted since his involvement in the incident.
"He is now director in Negri Sembilan. A promotion is not a punishment," she said of the officer who was described as an "arrogant leader" in the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into the death in its findings released a year ago.
The DAP deputy publicity chief added that the Bar Council had also recommended a charge of causing death by negligence even if the RCI and coroner's inquest failed to declare the case a homicide.
Abu Kassim told reporters earlier today the nature of the punishments would only be decided after the next complaints committee meeting.
This follows the Attorney General's decision not to charge the three officers as there was no criminal wrongdoing.
"Therefore, no legal action will be taken against the three officers," the Prime Minister's Department said in reply to a parliamentary question by Teo on June 20.
The MACC had suspended the three graftbusters in July last year after the RCI found that they had played a role in the DAP aide's death.
It did not at the time state the names of the trio but it is believed that they are Hishammuddin and enforcement officers Arman Alies and Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus, all of whom were named by the RCI.
Teoh’s body was found on a landing of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, the MACC’s headquarters at the time, the day after he was interrogated overnight on July 16, 2009.
The DAP is organising a two-week long memorial ahead of the third anniversary of his death, including a theatre performance adapted from the events surrounding the controversy.
An actor from the Rumah Anak Teater ensemble said Teoh's character will be played by a Malay to show that the issue is not a racial one, but one that affects all Malaysians,
