Gerakan Deputy President, Datuk Chang Ko Youn today in a statement welcomed the formation of an coroner’s inquiry to investigate the sudden and shocking death of Teoh Beng Hock, personal assistant to Y.B. Ean Yong Hian Wah, Selangor State EXCO. Chang also lauded the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigative procedures and to determine if there were any human rights violations in the interrogation of Teoh by the MACC.

“The Coroner’s Inquiry is testament to the government’s commitment to unearth the circumstances and truth of Beng Hock’s death. Justice must be done and be seen to be done and if the inquiry determines any wrongdoing on the part of the authorities or anyone else, punishment must be meted out out in line with the relevant laws,” Chang said.

Chang further added, “As such, the people should remain the calm and politicians must not exploit the situation to further their own interests.”

Chang while welcoming the formation a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigative procedures and methods employed by the MACC and to further identify possible human rights violations in their handling of Teoh’s interrogation, said the MACC must act within the confines of the law and not take the new found independence for granted and sully the fight against corruption.

“The MACC must serve as the bedrock in the fight against scourge of corruption. The MACC must act without favour and prosecute all those who are involved in corrupt activities. However, the MACC cannot act outside the perimeters of the law and with complete impunity as that will compromise the government’s drive to weed out corruption regardless of political affiliation,” said Chang.

Chang who is also chairman of the Gerakan Central Bureau on the Law and Human Rights again called on the government to codify and streamline the investigative powers of all enforcement agencies especially the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

He said Article 2 of the United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials provides: “in the performance of their duty, law enforcement officials shall respect and protect human dignity and uphold the human rights of all persons,” and said Malaysia must heed its international legal obligations.

“I believe the time to act on this matter is now. The investigative powers and procedures of all enforcement agencies must be compatible with our constitution and, basic human values and rights. I am constantly reminded of investigative techniques that include sleep deprivation, interrogations for hours at a time and the use of unpalatable language. This must no longer be the case given the troubling number custodial deaths,” Chang lamented.

Chang also called on the government to make sure that the new act includes specific provisions on the treatment and detention of suspects and witnesses, the right to legal representation, the extraction of intimate and non-intimate samples from suspects, and also called on all detention centres to be equipped with CCTVs’.