4 theSun
news without borders
Nov 19 decision
on MACC
questioning
by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court
here has fixed Nov 19 for a deci-
sion in the suit by Kajang municipal
councillor Tan Boon Wah against
the Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission (MACC).
Judicial Commissioner Mohd
Ariff Md Yusof set the date yes-
terday after he heard submissions
from Tan’s counsel, Karpal Singh,
and senior federal counsel Noorin
Badaruddin, representing the
MACC.
Tan had filed a suit on July
22 against the MACC for false
imprisonment, seeking a declara-
tion that under section 30(1)(a) of
the MACC Act 2009, the MACC
can only record statements from
a witness during office hours and
not beyond that.
Tan, who was called to assist
in the MACC investigations into
RM2,400 worth of mini Malaysian
flags he supplied to DAP state as-
semblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah,
claims that he was questioned until
the early hours of the morning.
Karpal had submitted that
the term “day-to-day” in Section
30(3) of the MACC Act should
refer to regular office hours and
not extended questioning over a
24-hour period.
He compared the situation in
the MACC Act with the protection
given to suspects in police deten-
tion under Rule 20 of the Lock-up
Rules, which state that a suspect
in custody cannot be questioned
between 6.30pm and 6.30am the
following day.
However, Noorin submitted that
the phrase “day-to-day” should be
taken in its literal context, arguing
that it meant a full 24-hour period
in which the MACC has the right to
question witnesses.
| TUESDAY OCTOBER 20 2009
Teoh Beng Hock inq
uest:
Teoh’s family postpones
Who’s who
Coroner
Azmil Muntapha
Abas
Government
Tan Hock Chua
(cou n
nsel appointed
psychiatric evaluation
by government)
DPP Idham Abdu
l Ghani
Lawyers for Teoh’s
family
Gobind Singh De
S.N. Nair o
Ram Karpal Sin
Lim Lip Eng gh
Karpal Singh
by Charles Ramendran
Lawyers for Selan
newsdesk@thesundaily.com state governmen gor
t
Malik Imtiaz Sa
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ashok Kandiah rwar
family members of political Sreekant Pillai
secretary Teoh Beng Hock Lawyers holding a
called off a psychiatric for the Bar Council watching brief
evaluation scheduled for 12 lawyers led
Teh Poh Teik wh by Hisyam
yesterday because they said turns on a daily o will take
the psychiatrists refused basis
to give them a copy of the
evaluation report and a
recording of the interview.
They also said their
plication to the coroner to
allow a copy of the findings
lawyer was not allowed to
accompany them.
to be supplied to them before
arranging for another date for
Teoh’s parents Leong the interview.
Hwee and Teng Shuw Hoi, Meng Kee, 33, also said
his elder brother Meng Kee claims of his brother being
and fiancee Soh Cher Wei broke before his death were
were to have undergone a untrue. He said Teoh had
psychiatric evaluation at RM20,000 in fixed deposits and
Selayang Hospital to assess Lim (left) with Meng Kee, Soh, Leong Hwee, Shuw Hoi and Lee Lan at Selayang the family had the certificates
Teoh’s state of mind. to prove it.
Hospital yesterday.
The interview, to be Younger sister Lee Lan, 29,
conducted by three psy- said Teoh was a frugal spender
chiatrists, had been ordered by the coroner to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
and saved whenever he could.
conducting the inquest into Teoh’s death. “They also refused to allow the presence She also said the allegations that Teoh
Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, who had of a family member or lawyer during the was having a relationship with another
accompanied the family members to the sessions although this had been agreed woman, Esther Yew, were a lie.
hospital, said: “We wanted a copy (of the upon during the inquest.” She said Yew and Teoh were in univer-
evaluation report) to know the accuracy of Lim said the psychiatrists told them it sity together and were good friends.
what was exchanged between the family was the first time they were carrying out Lee Lan also said the interview with
and the psychiatrists and they told us that such an interview. the psychiatrists was unnecessary and
they will hand over their findings directly He said the family will make an ap- uncalled for.
Aussie investors worried about crime, infrastructure
by Maria J. Dass “Much of the crime stories reported here are the state government has been working closely
newsdesk@thesundaily.com picked up by the foreign media and this gives the with the police and getting the local authorities in-
impression that Malaysia is a dangerous place,” volved in crime fighting in the state by increasing
SHAH ALAM: Rampant crime and poor infra- he said. the presence of enforcement officers in various
structure, particularly weak internet connection, Halpin also said that while Malaysia used to be areas.
are among the reasons why Australian companies a preferred business destination because English “On the issue of opportunities, Selangor is no
Balloon are thinking twice before they move their opera- is widely spoken here, other factors like poor longer competing with low paying, labour inten-
boy case tions here. infrastructure, particularly internet sive countries,” he said.
Malaysia Australia Business Council vice chair- connections, are not much better “We would like to frame
a hoax man Michael Halpin said most Australian compa- than in other countries in the region. Much of the investment opportunities with
pg 8 nies are looking at operating out of Indonesia and Companies expect a lot more from crime stories a value-added and highly-skilled
Vietnam because of these reasons. Malaysia, which has been a choice reported here are workforce.”
“Malaysia benefits from its geographical destination for investments. picked up by the Abdul Khalid said the state is
location but Australian businessmen are wor- “A good Internet connection is foreign media moving in line with the federal
ried about security as most will move here with crucial to many companies who government’s plan to develop high
their families,” he said at a luncheon discussion have to send large technical docu- and this gives technology and green technology in-
ments, and it takes a long time to the impression
between the Selangor government and foreign dustries which require highly-skilled
embassies and business councils yesterday. do so using the internet connection that Malaysia is a employment.
Halpin, who is also the chairman of the con- here,” he said. dangerous place.” “Companies operating from
struction, manufacturing and property develop- This is becoming a nuisance to Selangor, which has a ready infra-
ment sub-committee of the council, said that companies doing business here. structure for them to work from,
while the crime rates in those countries are He said the authorities are aware of the prob- will be able to use the state as a springboard
not necessarily lower than that in Malaysia, the lem and working towards improving the speed of into other countries which have bigger markets
perception that Malaysia is crime-ridden has the internet connections. such as Indonesia, China and the other Asean
been perpetuated by the local media. Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said countries,” he said.