By Lim Kit Siang, MP for Gelang Patah

Today is the fifth anniversary of the killing of DAP aide Teoh Beng Hock (TBH) at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Shah Alam.

The gloom over the unresolved murder of Teoh Beng Hock five years ago has been aggravated by the MACC statement yesterday that the three MACC officers implicated in the death of Teoh Beng Hock by the TBH Royal Commission of Inquiry had been cleared of indiscipline by the MACC special investigation team comprising its disciplinary board and the complaints committee (one of the MACC independent oversight committees).

The MACC statement sparked a new national round of shock waves of disbelief and disgust at the continued degradation of credibility, independence, professionalism and integrity of important national institutions whether the judiciary, the Elections Commission, the police, the MACC or even a Royal Commission of Inquiry – testimony that the grave injustice of the unresolved killing of Teoh Beng Hock continues to be one of the greatest injustices in the 57-year history of the nation.

The Teoh Beng Hock RCI committed a great flaw when it failed to affix responsibility for Beng Hock’s death on the MACC although there were evidence galore before the RCI proceedings.

It was not just persons, namely various MACC officers led by Hishammuddin Hashim the then Selangor MACC Deputy Director and the “mastermind” of the illegal and massive 33-officer MACC “operation”, who must bear responsibility for Beng Hock’s death but also the institution of MACC as well.

The RCI report only made oblique references to the MACC’s role and responsibility for Beng Hock’s death without going for the jugular to pinpoint directly to MACC’s liability and responsibility.

This is most unsatisfactory and an abdication of responsibility of the TBH RCI on its specific term of reference “to enquire into the death of  Teoh Beng Hock and the circumstances surrounding and contributing to his death”.

For instance, Para 336 of the TBH RCI said: “336: We are of the view that the death of TBH should not be in vain and all attempts should be made to improve the functioning of the MACC and the administration of criminal justice in the country as a result of our inquiry into the workings of the MACC. The evidence adduced showed that the MACC officers were prepared to go to great lengths to lie.”

The scandal of Beng Hock’s tragic death at the MACC headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009 is not just MACC officers “were prepared to go to great lengths to lie” but the MACC as an institution which went to great lengths to participate in a conspiracy of silence and lies to pervert the course of justice to “cover up” the actual causes and circumstances of Beng Hock’s death.

Beng Hock’s death would be “in vain” if firstly, his killers remain free and unpunished; and secondly, the MACC is not held responsible and liable for his death and instead allowed to “go to great lengths” to participate in a “cover-up” of the actual causes and circumstances of Beng Hock’s death at the TBH RCI, with MACC officers telling “lies after lies” at the RCI.

Malaysians who love justice will not rest until the “cover-up” of Teoh Beng Hock’s criminal and senseless murder is exposed and the killers, including MACC, are brought to justice.

DAP and Pakatan Rakyat will continue to highlight the injustice of Teoh Beng Hock’s unresolved murder at MACC premises as well as the growing list of custodial deaths especially in police lock-ups in the next meeting of Parliament.