'We hope that those responsible for his death would be uncovered. The cause of death and those responsible for it cannot and are not mutually exclusive.'

U-turn: RCI to probe cause of Teoh's death

Anak Bangsa Malaysia: With the police, Attorney-General's Chambers, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and numerous high court and appellate court judges openly in Umno-BN's pocket, I am deeply sceptical that even a truly independent RCI will be able to uncover the truth and to have its recommendations acted upon.

Knowing PM Najib Razak, this sudden decision to broaden the terms of reference for the Teoh RCI is probably calculated as a temporary measure to appease public outrage ahead of several by-elections, instead of being a sincere attempt at uncovering the truth and delivering justice to Teoh Beng Hock and his family.

And we must not forget that there are many, many other victims of police/MACC besides Teoh Beng Hock.

Fair Mind: Thank you, PM Najib, for widening the scope of the RCI investigation and in keeping with your promises to Teoh Beng Hock's family. Praises should be given where it is due.

Hopefully, the chairperson and the committee members of this RCI will conduct the investigation truthfully and sincerely, leaving no stones unturned.

Aloysius Ting: It's definitely not time to rejoice yet. The findings of the RCI would be influenced by the integrity of the members. The truth may never be revealed.

KJ John: With no malice to anyone, I wished retired justice NH Chan had been appointed chair for all truth to be revealed, without fear or favour.

Anonymous_3e16: Because of public pressure, Najib has no choice but to call for the RCI. Anyway, it is good that the RCI was formed but with all due respect, why was retired judge NH Chan was not selected?

Let there be consistency for all those deceased: Altantuya Shaariibuu, A Kugan, and many other innocent deaths. Strong actions must be instituted without fail, otherwise it is just a show.

Disgusted: Is this for real or just an eyewash for the elections? Previous royal commissions recommendations such as the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), VK Lingam, etc, came to nought. Nobody takes royal commissions seriously as after reports are out, they're stamped NFA (no further action).

1Malay-sia-sia: Better late than never. Hope to have some answers soon, not more questions.

Swipenter: This shows what the rakyat can achieve if we stand together and make our voice heard loud and clear on issues that are of national interest and importance. It is laudable for Najib to listen to the voice of the rakyat.

We hope that the causes as well as those responsible for his death would be uncovered in the RCI. The cause of death and those responsible for it cannot and are not mutually exclusive.

Pemerhati: The commission of inquiry could easily include an investigation into the police investigation procedures and custodial deaths which claim many times more lives. If that is not possible then a similar commission could be set up for the custodial and encounter killings by the police.

Many people like A Kugan and M Krishnan may be innocent but the police have a habit of arresting people and beating them up and torturing them to get information. If the person dies in custody, the police will label him as a suspected car thief, a drug dealer, etc.

The setting-up of a commission of inquiry for one death in custody while not doing anything about the dozens of other custodial and encounter killings where the people may be just as innocent as Teoh, is a blatant double standard.

Yes, minorities are getting a very raw deal in Malaysia both from BN and Pakatan Rakyat. The communities that are worst off are the people like the Penans, Orang Asli and the Indians.

Cala: Is Najib pulling the strings from behind? Judging from the composition of RCI, it is clear as daylight that Najib is not going all out to unravel causes of TBH's death. First, as Kgen has rightly argued, two of the five panelists are serving judges whose jobs are dependent on the pleasure of the regime.

Second, except for Abdul Kadir Sulaiman who is now retired, the balance is actually part of the civil service - bureaucrats, and like it or not, the culture of ‘iron cage' does play and will play in their decision-making. Najib's RCI will be more convincing to ordinary people on the street if the panelists are consist of more neutral personalities (say NH Chan).

For the time being, it is as though Najib is bowing to public pressure to set up a RCI in ways that conform to their expectations, but on the quiet side he is pulling the strings from behind. It is indeed a half-hearted job from someone who says "people first, performance now".

From the record, James Foong used to be an exemplary judge worthy of our respect. The case in point was the manner he handled Bakun dam case while he was a High Court judge. More recently, a few cases that he presided along with other judges were however, slightly more controversial.

I used to see him in action in the 1990s. I must say I was impressed. But times change and so will a person.

Onyourtoes: Would RCI make a difference? I doubt very much. The authorities are simply too corrupt to incriminate themselves. Just look at the police officer who made a false report on "drug and weapon possession" against Chia Baung Hing and now failed to turn up in court to face charges. The abuse of power is right to the core.

Md Imraz Muhammed Ikhbal: My heart reaches out to share the grief and anguish felt by the family of TBH but I still maintain that this RCI is still an utter waste of time and resources at the expense of the taxpayers' money and the outcome shall be much to the disappointment of the entire nation.

Even if the truth is unearthed on the cause of death, in a system corrupt to the core as in ours, the suspect(s) will remain invincible suspects and justice shall be no more than a commodity traded to the highest bidder.

Be whatever the findings of the RCI, our corrupt system empowers absolutely an absolutely corrupt attorney-general with the sole power to prosecute or not to. So long as corruption serenades the corridors of power to which the AG is aligned to, then there can be no justice for Beng Hock other than through the ballot box.

Many will not like my comment here but it shall be the ugly reality in the not too distant future. In the meanwhile, just sit back, observe and enjoy the charade.

MySecret: Could we have a royal commission of inquiry into the cause of death for Altantuya and Kugan as well? Or are there too few Mongolian and Indian voters in the coming by elections?

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