DISBAND THE INSTITUTIONS; ONLY RCIs WORK?

SOME are still angry, especially politicians in Pakatan Rakyat, some of the so-called neutrals are aghast and want to see the Barisan Nasional thrown out in the next general election and with it also everything else perceived to be associated with it, some feel for the family of the man who died but are level-headed enough to want to see justice done the right way, with anyone guilty taken to court and not persecuted in the kangaroo court of public opinion before the full facts are known.

There are also those who sit on the various panels formed simultaneously with the recent formation of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission who talk as if they are in shock because they were not aware some of the procedures or rules under which the commission operates may not be up to the standards they expected. Whose fault? If they had gone through all this information which must be documented somewhere, the ones who are truly concerned and want to see better SOPs put in place could have done better to effect change. The regulation on when and how a witness or a suspect should be interviewed or interrogated is one.

I also read a blog at which the writer says that those who have committed a mistake should just put up their hands, own up and say sorry. You can read it here too because it's linked. But why should anyone do so when nothing much has been determined thus far, except the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock? This blogger is now calling for everyone to dump Umno and BN at the 13th general election. He is also sure the people will desert the ruling party. I don't think anyone can be sure about this. Don't discount the possibility that it may be the other way round. He is now also positive about his school/batch-mate Anwar Ibrahim although that wasn't the case a few months ago.

The calls for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to be formed to investigate Teoh's death remain strong, even before the police wrap up their investigations. We cannot trust the police? If that's the case the entire police force should be disbanded. In place of the force we can a RCI for every death the opposition and everyone else think is suspicious. Not practical? Then tell me what is.

The whole problem is because everyone is making is own conclusions and interpretations before the probe is over and done with it. What if -- and one must never discount any possibility -- someone else outside of the MACC was responsible for Teoh's death? What would the RCI be required to do then if it had already been formed (prematurely)? I'm not saying this was what happened but what if Teoh, for whatever reason or reasons, had decided to take his own life, unlikely though it may seem at this point in time amidst all the accusations and super-charged emotions?

If we care to look at this issue rationally we may even agree that this is where responsible political leadership comes in. A good leader must lead with good examples. He can calm down a tense situation or he can aggravate it. In this mixed bag environment of ours, a politician can even make everything sound racial and political.

For the sake of the good name of all our institutions I hope the MACC had nothing to do with Teoh's death, its "involvement" confined only to the long hours of interview and the fact he was last seen within their premises. If anyone there had anything to do with the death directly, that bloke deserved to be hanged and I will say so again when the time comes. But that doesn't mean the entire commission should be disbanded, only its procedures should be as fool-proof as possible.

Let's hope for a closure that the case deserves, no more no less.