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Appoint top retired judges to Teoh royal commission

The establishment of a royal commission of inquiry to investigate the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock and to look into MACC’s (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) procedures used to see if there were abuse of human rights is to be welcomed.

The formation of the royal commission will certainly ignite change through peaceful means and it must be remembered no single individual, institution or government can foil the rights of the powerless.

Additionally, the filing of an application by the office of the attorney-general for a revision of the open verdict returned by the Coroner's Court on Teoh's death, while granting temporary comfort to the family, actually demonstrates that citizens have the power to change things themselves.

No state or government can serve as an icon of democracy if they don't appreciate the basic needs of the people. Every government must train itself to listen to the people.

I hope that the government will consider appointing prominent retired judges such as Gopal Sri Ram, KC Vohrah, Mahadev Sanker, NH Chan and former Bar Council president Sulaiman Abdullah as possible panelists in the royal commission.

The author is a former Internal Security Act detainee.

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