The rakyat has learned never to trust Najib Abdul Razak, especially when he repeats the ill-fated words, “No stone will be left unturned.” For many, this phrase is synonymous with cover-ups, lies and deceit.

Our first recollection of the infamous claim, that Najib would make every effort and use every resource available, to solve a problem, was when the family of the late political aide, Teoh Beng Hock met Najib at his Putrajaya office. This meeting happened on 28 July, 2009, two weeks after Teoh’s mysterious death, at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) office in Shah Alam.

Najib reassured Teoh’s family and said, “No stone will be left unturned in finding out the real cause of death and, if there is any foul play, action will definitely be taken.”

The second occasion was after the MH17 crash in eastern Ukraine, when Najib vowed to establish the cause of the disaster and punish the perpetrators. He said, “No stone will be left unturned...”

Najib’s latest use of this phrase was at a press conference , after the helicopter crash in which the former Malaysian ambassador to the US, Jamaluddin Jarjis, Najib’s political aide and four other people died. Najib reassured everyone that, “No stone will be left unturned.”

So, why does he persist in using this phrase, which we have come to associate with government ineptitude.

To date, the investigation into Teoh’s death has been shambolic, the royal commission of inquiry equally disastrous and to add insult to injury, the MACC officer who is credited with being responsible for Teoh’s death has been promoted and transferred to Sabah, where he now heads the Sabah MACC office.

Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching said that the RCI revealed that Hishamuddin Hashim, the former deputy director of Selangor MACC, the investigation officer Arman Alies and assistant investigating officer Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus, had all used excessive violence on Teoh.

Teo also alleged that Commissioner T Selventhiranathan had said on April 20, 2011, that Hishamuddin had lied when he had claimed ignorance of police reports which  accused his officers of physical abuse.

The RCI claimed that Hishamuddin had ordered MACC assistant Supt Azeem Hafeez Jamaluddin to testify that another officer had led the probe to cover-up Hishamuddin’s role in the investigation of Teoh’s boss, the Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah.

Teo said, “Six months have lapsed. The inspector-general of police (IGP) should now answer what police have done to identify and charge the MACC officers, who should be held responsible for the death of Teoh Beng Hock.”

Busy with Twitter division

The rakyat is aware that lately, the IGP has been kept very busy with his newly formed Twitter division, at the expense of his less important duty to solve crime.

The MH17 tragedy is also unsolved. Was a Russian BUK missile fired at the passenger aircraft? Or, did a Ukrainian airforce pilot fire missiles at MH17? Why has no one been able to provide the answers? Who is trying to hide what?

Najib successfully brokered a deal with the pro-Russian separatists to retrieve the bodies of the victims of MH17. Following the negotiations, the authorities have managed to locate the plane’s black boxes, and safe access was provided for accident investigators to examine the crash site. Despite these painstaking efforts, the extensive investigations and tests, have not revealed the events which occurred in the final moments of MH17.

Yesterday, an eyewitness, Roslan Harun, told the official Bernama news agency that he had seen the helicopter carrying Jamaluddin Jarjis blow up in mid-air, during heavy rain. He said, “...the debris, tail and blades were thrown all over the place.”

The rakyat was prepared to wait for an official investigation and its conclusion. No one would have been any the wiser, but Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai dismissed talk of a mid-air explosion , before the investigations had started. Then, Home Minister Zahid Hamidi warned online media not to speculate about the crash.

Their responses have helped fuel the speculation of sabotage. Perhaps they are acting out of guilt, or have their own suspicions.

Malaysians know only too well about the government handling of the MH370 disaster, in which incompetence, inaccuracy, and delay featured in good measure.

Similarly, Teoh’s final moments were mired in controversy, just like the investigations into his death.

A few days after MH17, Najib made a rash promise to the families, and said that he would deliver the bodies of the victims to them by the following weekend. The aeroplane had been shot down from 30,000 ft. It was months before most body parts could be retrieved, and be identified through forensic analysis.

Najib’s political life is a trail of broken promises, and voters have learned not to believe him, especially when he says he will do something on their behalf.

‘No stone will be left unturned’ is as useless and meaningless as ‘1Malaysia’ or the scores of Najib’s other useless acronyms, phrases and jargon.

The track record of the Malaysian government has conditioned us to think the worst in every calamity. Don’t blame the rakyat for the government’s ineptitude. Malaysians have lost all confidence in Najib, Umno Baru and the Malaysian government. It is just too late for Najib to say, “You help me and I will help you.”

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO).