Charles Santiago

DAP wants police action on Teoh’s interrogators
Najib does a flip-flop to stay in power
Najib’s flip-flop to remain in power

DAP wants police action on Teoh’s interrogators

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 11:16 PM PDT

Source: Free Malaysia Today

Syed Jaymal Zahiid | August 23, 2011

Klang MP Charles Santiago says no action has been taken against the three MACC officers since the release of the RCI findings.

KLANG: DAP MP Charles Santiago today lodged a police report demanding an investigation into the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) which implicated three Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers in the death of Teoh Beng Hock.

"We want the police to act on the findings which said that torture had contributed to the death of Teoh… there was criminal intent," Santiago, the Klang MP, told reporters after lodging the report at the Klang police headquarters here.

The RCI had ruled that Teoh, the former political aide to a Selangor executive councillor, had committed suicide as a result of pressure from aggressive and continuous interrogation methods.

It blamed three officers – former Selangor MACC deputy director Hishammuddin Hashim and enforcement officers Arman Alies and Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus – for his death.

The three in the RCI report were described as "Arman the bully, Ashraf the abuser and HH the arrogant leader" and recommended action against them.

Police, however, said there are no laws to charge the three while the MACC launched an internal probe and promised to implement other RCI recommendations, including conducting questioning on the ground floor and installing cameras.

But former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim in an open letter to the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar said the three can be charged under Section 193 of the Penal Code. (Section 193 prescribes seven years' jail and fine for giving false evidence at judicial proceedings.)

'Justice has to be done'

Santiago concurred with the view after consultations with his lawyers and demand police investigate the three under Section 193.

"In fact, the police don't have to wait for a report to be lodged to launch an investigation," he said.

He added that it has been close to two months now since the release of the RCI report and no action has been taken against the three MACC officers.

"Justice has to be done for Teoh," said Santiago.

Teoh, 30, was found dead on July 16, 2009, on the fifth corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam after he was questioned overnight for alleged graft at the then MACC Selangor headquarters on the 14th floor.

The RCI cleared Teoh and his boss, Sri Kembangan state assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, from corruption charges.

Teoh's family has rejected the RCI's verdict and is considering applying for a judicial review on its findings.

Najib does a flip-flop to stay in power

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 07:09 PM PDT

Source: Malaysia Chronicle

Written By Charles Santiago

Manipulation is a common tactic among dictators. In Malaysia, the guy who caricatures this is none other than Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

In a throwback to the 1980s Malaysia, which was ruled by Dr Mahathir Mohamd who pulled every string available to stay in power, Najib is conniving with his cohort of bully-boys to keep his position intact.

Unfortunately, this is the most sincere compliment I could pay the premier.

Before we could digest Najib’s announcement of setting-up a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reforms, he did the flapjack stunt and said general election could be held anytime and is not bound by the outcome of the PSC.

His statement gives us a clear indication that Najib is not serious about revamping the country’s electoral system. And why would he?

Vote-rigging, phantom voting, postal voting and the irregularities of the system are what Najib is banking on to keep his top job in the country.

GE-13 to be the dirtiest

Abuses in the electoral system are nothing new in Malaysia. It has been practiced, over the years, by UMNO and Barisan Nasional leaders to cling to power without any legitimacy.

Through Najib’s statement we could arrive at a prognosis that the next general election would be the dirtiest in Malaysia’s political history. Or we could drum up reasons for his flip-flop statements, which have been one too many the last couple of months, to say that there is a deep divide within UMNO and the premier is facing immense pressure to toe the line from his own peers.

Not too long ago, the world witnessed the Arab spring revolution. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to demand their rights from leaders who were deemed indispensable. I am speaking of none other than Hosni Mubarak, Muammar Gaddafi and Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

The protesters were motivated by a strong yearning not to live in submission. They were determined to stop any leader from trampling on their dignity and human rights.

These rebellions would not stop until leaders who rule through dictatorship, suppression and corruption are thrown out of power.

The people must to the occasion

We too witnessed our share of history on July 9 this year, when tens of thousands of Malaysians took to the streets to demand that their voting pattern tallied with the election results.

They braved tear gas, water cannon and baton-wielding anti-riot cops to demand the government does not tread on their right to vote in a system which is free from gross violations and abuses.

In response, we have seen nonchalant dismissal of Najib and his cabinet ministers when issues of permanent residence (PR) holders being registered as potential voters came to light. The bunch is also non-committal to the admission of army officers who said they voted for hundreds of people.

Through his latest stunt, Najib has shattered every illusion that the electoral system in the country is free and fair. It is his admission by default.

Now we, the rakyat, must rise and demand that the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional government does not trample on our right to vote in a less hostile and corrupt electoral system.

For when the people rise, Najib and his government would fall.

- Charles Santiago is the MP for Klang

Najib’s flip-flop to remain in power

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 01:44 AM PDT

Source: Free Malaysia Today

August 22, 2011

Vote-rigging, phantom voting, postal voting and the irregularities of the system are what Najib is banking on to keep his top job in the country.

COMMENT

By Charles Santiago

Manipulation is a common tactic among dictators. In Malaysia, the guy who caricatures this is none other than Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

In a throwback to the 1980s Malaysia, which was ruled by Dr Mahathir Mohamad who pulled every string available to stay in power, Najib is conniving with his cohort of bully-boys to keep his position intact.

Unfortunately, this is the most sincere compliment I could pay the premier.

Before we could digest Najib's announcement of setting-up a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reforms, he did the flapjack stunt and said general election could be held anytime and is not bound by the outcome of the PSC.

His statement gives us a clear indication that Najib is not serious about revamping the country's electoral system. And why would he?

Vote-rigging, phantom voting, postal voting and the irregularities of the system are what Najib is banking on to keep his top job in the country.

Abuses in the electoral system are nothing new in Malaysia. It has been practiced, over the years, by Umno and Barisan Nasional leaders to cling to power without any legitimacy.

Through Najib's statement we could arrive at a prognosis that the next general election would be the dirtiest in Malaysia's political history.

Or we could drum up reasons for his flip-flop statements, which have been one too many the last couple of months, to say that there is a deep divide within Umno and the premier is facing immense pressure to toe the line from his own peers.

The protesters were motivated by a strong yearning not to live in submission. They were determined to stop any leader from trampling on their dignity and human rights.

These rebellions would not stop until leaders who rule through dictatorship, suppression and corruption are thrown out of power.

Admission by default

We too witnessed our share of history on July 9 this year, when thousands of Malaysians took to the streets to demand that their voting pattern tallied with the election results.

They braved tear gas, water cannon and baton-wielding anti-riot cops to demand the government does not tread on their right to vote in a system which is free from gross violations and abuses.

In response, we have seen nonchalant dismissal by Najib and his cabinet ministers when issues of permanent residence (PR) holders being registered as potential voters came to light. This bunch is also non-committal to the admission of army officers who said they voted for hundreds of people.

Through his latest stunt, Najib has shattered every illusion that the electoral system in the country is free and fair. It is his admission by default.

Now we, the rakyat, must rise and demand that the Umno-led Barisan Nasional government does not trample on our right to vote in a less hostile and corrupt electoral system.

For when the people rise, Najib and his government would fall.

Charles Santiago is DAP's Member of Parliament for Klang.