SPECIAL REPORT Two outcomes will be carefully watched come Wednesday - the coroner’s finding in the long-running Teoh Beng Hock inquest and whether the government will yield to pressure for a full accounting for his death.

Those following the saga since July 16, 2009 - when Teoh’s body was found - would remember the repeated calls for a royal panel to be formed, to inquire into the mysterious circumstances surrounding his ‘fall’ from the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam.

NONE Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak (right) eventually said a royal panel would be set up when the inquest is concluded but that it will only examine the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) investigative procedures.

It will also determine if Teoh’s human rights were violated while he was being questioned as a witness at the Selangor MACC office.

Najib had said the commission cannot determine the cause of death as this would have to be done through an inquest as stated in Criminal Procedure Code.

Nonetheless, the calls have not lessened for both an inquiry and for wider terms of reference (ToR) for the commission to uncover the truth if this does not come from the inquest.

The inquest, NONE which began on July 29, 2009, has been fraught with controversy, leaving Teoh’s family far from optimistic that their questions will be fully answered.

In Commonwealth countries, a royal commission constitutes a major government public inquiry into certain issues. The commission is created by the head of state or the sovereign on the government’s advice.

The government cannot stop a commission once it gets started. As a result, governments are usually very careful about framing the ToR and setting a deadline for the inquiry to be completed.

Former Bar Council president S Ambiga said there is no any law to stop the commission from investigating the cause of Teoh’s death, as long as the ToR are wide enough.

Another former Bar Council president Y ai police commission forum 150607 yeoh yang poh eo Yang Poh (right) said: “We will have to see whether Najib has the political will... of course, the wider the ToR, the better for the truth (or the inquiry would amount to a pure public relations exercise).”

“The most important thing for the commission is to investigate the key 48 hours prior to Teoh’s death. From that, we can take a conclusion and make recommendations,” he said when contacted.

He also said the members of the commission should have sufficient credibility to investigate the matter fairly and independently.

‘Invaluable process’

Nine royal commissions of inquiry have been set up to date in Malaysia, but have had a varying impact on the serious situations they addressed.

Among the issues investigated were the fire at the Bright Sparklers factory in Sungai Buloh New Village (1991); injuries suffered by Anwar Ibrahim while in police custody (1999); need for reform of the police force (2004); and the Lingam tape scandal (2007).

The government held back from ambiga sreevenasan interview 030507 talking implementing the strong recommendations of the panel on the police reform and Lingam-tape issues, choosing instead to offer a watered-down response in the former instance.

As to whether a royal panel on Teoh’s death will be able to prevent custodial deaths, Ambiga (left) said the most important thing is for the truth to prevail.

“Even if the government does not accept the panel’s recommendations, (the inquiry would) still be an invaluable process to find out the truth,” she added.

Tomorrow: Key points revisited