Press Statement by Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy on 29 December 2021 in Kuala Lumpur
Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy supports Professor Edmund Terence Gomez for his resignation from the Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Professor Gomez requested the panel to discuss the ownership of more than 5 million shares at two public listed companies by the current MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki but to no avail.
Five MACC advisory and consultative bodies — Special Committee on Corruption (5 members), Anti-Corruption Advisory Board (7 members), Complaints Committee (5 members), Consultation And Corruption Prevention Panel (12 members) and Operations Review Panel (5 members) — only act as window dressing of the anti-corruption agency. It never helps MACC to eliminate corruption. Moreover, the bodies have turned a blind eye on incidences of human rights violations at MACC.
The so-called MACC advisors and consultants, remained silent when the Global Witness report revealed in 2013 that the family of the then Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud was involved in corruption and abuse of power. They also failed to act during the 1MDB scandal, when the then Prime Minister Najib Razak deliberately transferred the special operations director of MACC Bahri Mohd Zin to the Prime Minister’s Department.
In 2009, the political aide to Selangor exco Teoh Beng Hock died in the custody of MACC Selangor headquarter in Shah Alam. The next year, custom officer Ahmad Sarbani was found dead in the MACC Kuala Lumpur headquarter. No MACC advisors or consultants ensure justice is served. Member of Parliament Gobind Singh had revealed that the police received 59 complaints against MACC officers for tortures and abuses in between 2005 and 2010, but no single person was prosecuted. No MACC advisors or consultants voice their dissatisfaction and right the wrong.
Five MACC advisory and consultative bodies, all together 34 members, were joined by prominent figures such as leader of Transparency International Malaysia, former president of the Bar, university academics, members of parliament from both ruling and opposition parties. These figures were and are being used as window dressing by the MACC to condone big scale corruption involving politicians, carrying out selective investigation and political persecution. If the 34 members of the MACC advisors and consultants are paid, it is a waste of the taxpayers’ money.
We call on all political parties to demand the government to delete the article 13 to 15 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 to abolish the five advisory and consultative bodies which act as window dressing.
We reiterate our demand that section 30(3)(a) of the MACC Act must be amended to limit the interrogation time to office hours, a step that is crucial to protect the human rights of the detainees. This measure can prevent the reoccurrence of the tragic death of Teoh Beng Hock and prevent all unnecessary prolonged interrogation that causes physical and psychological tortures.
Ng Yap Hwa
Chairperson
Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy