Penang Pakatan Rakyat has demanded that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) be abolished as it has failed to take action on its personnel over the death of DAP aide Teoh Beng Hock even after three years.

Komtar assemblyperson Ng Wei Aik, who led the 30-minute protest under the sweltering heat, said that the party had collected 1,200 signatures to call for MACC’s abolishment, versus only one who opposed the call.

He added that the call to abolish the institution was based on the three-year inaction by the MACC which has yet to bring those responsible for Teoh’s death to justice.

NONE Ng said this was markedly different from the treatment given to Bersih 3.0 rally participants who were speedily charged in court.

“We want MACC to be accountable because we do not want any BN leaders, if they were brought in for interrogation and questioning for corruption, to also share the same fate as Teoh,” he told reporters.

In commemorating the third anniversary of Teoh’s death, about 30 Pakatan members, including assemblypersons and local councillors, gathered outside the Penang MACC building today to protest againt the latter’s inaction.

They included Ng Wei Aik (DAP-Komtar), RSN Rayer (DAP - Seri Delima), A Thanasekran (DAP-Bagan Dalam), Teh Yee Cheu (DAP-Tanjong Bungah), Phee Boon Poh (DAP-Sungai Puyu), Michael Tan (DAP-Padang Lalang) and Jason Ong (PKR- Kebun Bunga).

Local councillors who attended the event were Ong Ah Teong, Lim Siew Khim, Steven Sim and Yusof Noor.

NONE The group carried banners urging justice for Teoh, and bouquets of white chrsysanthenums, which were later placed outside the MACC compound.

Later, some of the protesters laid on the grass to remind the public on how Teoh fell from the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam, the then-office of the Selangor MACC, on that fateful day.

There was no response from the Penang MACC to Pakatan’s latest public gesture outside its building.

‘Teoh’s death exposed iregularities’

Meanwhile, Jason Ong said Teoh may have met his untimely death but he did not die in vain as his death exposed the irregularities in MACC’s method of interrogation of witnesses.

Ong took the authorities to task for not giving proper answers to all the unresolved cases which has occurred over the years.

Ong said institutions like the police and Attorney-General’s Chambers - other than the MACC - have equally been silent about who killed Teoh.

NONE He added that these institutions have also been silent on other important cases as well, like why Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaarriibuu (right) was murdered in 2006 by two former bodyguards of PM Najib Abdul Razak - who was then deputy prime minister and finance minister.

Altantuya was allegedly involved in a RM7.3 billion deal for the procurement of two Scorpene class submarines by the Malaysian government in 2002.

“We must continue to pressure the MACC so that Teoh’s death would not be in vain,” he told reporters during his turn to speak at the event.

Yusof, who represented PAS, said that Malaysians must seek justice for all who died in the custody of the authorities - like A Kugan and Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed.

Kugan died in the police lock-up in 2009 while being detained over car thefts, while Ahmad Sarbaini was a customs officer in Port Klang who also fell to his death last year at the Kuala Lumpur MACC building.

“The only way to seek and obtain justice for all who died a similar fate to Teoh is to topple the government at the coming 13th general election,” he quipped.

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