BY THE WAY....HOW MANY MALAYSIANS STILL RESPECT THE KING? LET’S HAVE A SECRET REFERENDUM AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL ....EVEN AT THE END OF EVERY FRIDAY PRAYERS IN MOSQUES, DURING THE “DOA” FOR THE KING, NOT MANY MUSLIMS CONVINCINGLY SAY “AMEEEEEEEN”!!!!!

BY THE WAY....HOW MANY MALAYSIANS STILL RESPECT THE KING? LET’S HAVE A SECRET REFERENDUM AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL ....EVEN AT THE END OF EVERY FRIDAY PRAYERS IN MOSQUES, DURING THE “DOA” FOR THE KING, NOT MANY MUSLIMS CONVINCINGLY SAY “AMEEEEEEEN”!!!!!


(Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR -- The family of Teoh Beng Hock has shown "clear disrespect" to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong by boycotting the Commission of Inquiry into the political aide's death, a former Court of Appeal judge said today.

Shaik Daud Ismail, who retired from the judiciary in 2001, said all parties involved should give the CI due recognition and respect because it was set up on the command of the king.

"The parties must give it the trust and respect that it deserves and, mind you, it was set up by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. It was not appointed by the prime minister. No doubt, the prime minister can suggest so-and-so to be members of the panel but the king can say no if he wants somebody else,” he told Bernama in an interview in response to the debate on the withdrawal of Teoh's family from the CI.

Teoh’s sister, brother, parents and their two lawyers walked out of the CI proceedings on Feb 16 after they failed to stay proceedings for the second time.

The DAP political aide had fallen to his death at Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009 after being questioned by officers of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission which has an office at the building.

Shaik Daud, when asked if those who did not respect the CI also showed no respect for the king said: "Yes, show your respect to the CI in the light of the fact that the appointment is by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Allow them to carry

on their work."

He said he just could not understand the reason for the boycott when it was the Teoh family that had "craved, asked and demanded" for the commission to be established, but then pulled out even before it could begin its work.

Asked if he thought they and the lawyers were trying to politicise the issue, Shaik Daud said: “Forget about your politics for the time being because everybody wants to know what happened to Teoh Beng Hock.

“It’s not only the family, I’m sure the whole country wants to know what happened to him. So it’s their duty to help the commission to come to a verdict”.

Shaik Daud also spoke of the action by Karpal Singh and his son, Gobind Singh Deo, the lawyers for the family, to recuse commission chairman James Foong Cheng Yuen on the ground that he was still a serving member of the judiciary. Foong is a Federal Court judge.

He said it did not make any difference to the workings of the CI whether a sitting judge was appointed as chairman.

"He is a very senior judge. And he has proven to be a very straight man, so whether he is sitting now as a judge or not doesn’t make any difference.

“To appoint somebody like James Foong, I see no difference. After all, you have two members of the panel who are ex-judges, you have check and balance already."

The other members of the panel are former Federal Court judge Abdul Kadir Sulaiman, former Court of Appeal judge T. Selventhiranathan, Penang Hospital senior consultant forensic pathologist Dr Bhupinder Singh and Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences' dean and consultant forensic psychiatrist Prof Dr Mohamed Hatta Shaharom.

Shaik Daud said it was also too premature for the family and their lawyers to accuse the CI chairman of being biased as the CI had not even started its proceedings at the time of their boycott.

“Let them start first. If you see the chairman is biased, then only you can bring it up. But before even starting, how do you know a person is biased?” he asked.

On the position taken by Karpal Singh, one of Malaysia’s most senior lawyers, to withdraw from the CI because Foong is a serving judge, Shaik Daud expressed surprise.

He said judges during his time respected Karpal Singh and, when he appeared before them, they never considered that he was in the political opposition.

"As far as I’m concerned, I’ve known him since 1964 when he was practising in Alor Setar and I was president of the Sessions Court. I find him a very straight person, very diligent, very hardworking, and he doesn’t waste the time of the court,” he said.

He also agreed with views that the Teoh family had everything to lose by boycotting the inquiry.

“It would make some difference because they may want to bring some evidence which now they cannot because they are not there. So it’s better for them to be there and they can tell the judge, as chairman of the commission, that they want to call so-and-so and hear the evidence."

Shaik Daud explained that in a commission of inquiry, anybody who had information on the matter could offer himself or herself to be a witness.

On the objection by the family to the Attorney-General’s Chambers having its own personnel as conducting officers, he said these officers were not appointed by the attorney-general but the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and they owed a duty to the king and not to the AG for this particular case.

If, during the course of the proceedings, the family members found that the officers were trying to be biased and not independent, they could always alert the commission, but following their withdrawal they no longer had the opportunity to do so.

He also recalled the good work done by a previous royal commission of inquiry into the assault of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim while in police custody in 1998.

Shaik Daud said it was only after the setting up of the royal commission that new evidence came out that was not known before leading to the finger being pointed at the then Inspector-General of Police Rahim Noor as the man who had assaulted Anwar.

He said it took a royal commission to find out the truth as, prior to that, the IGP’s subordinates and officers dared not come forward.

“This is the best example I can give on (the effectiveness) of a royal commission of inquiry,” said Shaik Daud, adding that Rahim’s appeal against his two-month jail sentence and a fine of RM2,000 for the assault was the last case he heard before he retired.

(Bernama)

Comments (5)...

written by AlwaysFair, February 28, 2011 16:16:36

No credibility at all. Justice for Teoh Beng Hock!!! ...

written by singhkris, February 28, 2011 15:53:38

I suppose that they now will be reports sedition against the Teoh family!

Judges get senile soon after they retire. That is if they are not intellectually engaged. There is no no disrespect to the Agong. The RCI is given all powers to compel their attendance if their attendances are required. The Teohs have a right not to attend if there is no complusion. Have you forgotten the law Judge? ..

written by HamChak, February 28, 2011 15:39:51

Poorah, Shaik Daud Ismail, don't la blame the Teoh's family.

It was the MACC and your HalfPastSix judicial that they do not trust.

Your F**king Judicial is useless and ROTTEN to the core.

Go la and look at the mirror.

What do you see?

What?

Yes, Yes, YES, a reflexion of P I G ! .

written by Malaysia Ku, February 28, 2011 15:38:42

"He is a very senior judge. And he has proven to be a very straight man, so whether he is sitting now as a judge or not doesn’t make any difference."

He can be a very senior 'BUAYA' too. As straight as he can be, with BN rule nothing can be seem as 'STRAIGHT' IN OUR EYES. ..

written by michatan2000, February 28, 2011 15:32:55

Hello Shaik Daud,

What do you have to say about the VK Lingam RCI where the recommendations of the RCI were left hanging in the air. Isn't that also disrespectful to the King? Unfortunately in Malaysia, semua boleh and semua OK. That is why respect for the Institutions are eroding daily.