Najib to face storm over MACC death
By Bob Teoh (Sin Chew Daily)
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak flies home Monday after a five-day working visit to Saudi Arabia and is headed for a storm over the MACC mystery death in custody of Teoh Beng Hock.
Bernama reported from Jeddah Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, left the Royal Pavilion at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport, on board a special aircraft.
The visit was initially scheduled for four days but Najib extended it to accommodate his new schedule.
While abroad, Teoh Beng Hock, the political secretary to DAP’s Ean Yong Hian Wah assemblyman and state Exco member, fell to his death last Thursday (16 July) from the ninth floor of the building where the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is located in mysterious circumstances. When it was reporetd that Teoh was to be married the following day, suspicions over the death quickly surfaced. A cabinet minister suggested that it may be suicide and immedately got slammed by the public.
The MACC and Police are dragging their feet in responding to mounting public anger and this has only fuelled the outrage even more. A coalition of 17 civil society organisations immediately demanded a Royal Commission to probe the death.
By last Saturday (18 July), in Najib's absence, his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin, was forced to say that the Cabinet may consider the call for a Royal probe at its forthcoming meeting for this week on Wednesday.
DAP parliamentry leader and MP for Ipoh Timor, Lim Kit Siang, immediately took him to task and demanded that the prime minister must immedaitely announced a Royal Commission upon his arrival tonight instead of waiting another two days. Teoh's family had already said they will no accept anything less than a Royal probe. Teoh was laid to rest today. Najib cannot avoid the storm. Najib has just recently completed his first 100 days as prime minister with a high approval rating. He must initiate a no-holds-barred inquiry as soon as his plane touches down tonight to save the credibility of the new government he leads. (By BOB TEOH, MySinchew)
