Media conference statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang in Bintulu on Saturday, 9^th April 2011 at 12 noon: 

Call for Royal Commission of Inquiry to re-open riddle of seven-year mysterious death of Sarawak DOE investigating officer Rumie Azzan falling from 9^th floor of STA in Kuching in Sept 2004

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak seems to be amenable to the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Carcosa sex videotape scandal, not into the roles of the Attorney-General and the Police to ascertain why the threesome forming “Datuk T” had not been arrested and prosecuted for crimes after three long weeks, but to establish the identity of the “key character” in the video.

Would Najib seriously consider the possibility of a RCI if the target of the Carcosa sex video tape screening had been the Prime Minister himself, the Deputy Prime Minister or anyone of the Cabinet Ministers?

The people of Sarawak and Malaysia are entitled to ask why the Prime Minister is not prepared to establish RCI for a whole host of more important and pressing public issues.

For a start, is Najib prepared to establish a RCI to re-open the riddle of the seven-year mysterious death of Sarawak Department of Environment (DOE) investigating officer Rumie Azzan falling from 9th floor of Sarawak Timber Association (STA) in Kuching on 17th September 2004 just before 11 am?

An inquest into Rumie’s mysterious death had returned an Open Verdict as the coroner was unable to determine whether the death “resulted from or was accelerated by any unlawful act or omission”.

Many Sarawakians were reminded of Rumie’s mysterious death from height when in the course of official duties investigating a major environment case when the tragic case of Teoh Beng Hock falling to his death from the 14th floor of MACC headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009 shocked the nation.

Is Najib prepared when he comes to Sarawak for the general elections campaign to announce a Royal Commission of Inquiry to re-open the riddle of the seven-year mysterious death of 31-year-old DOE investigating officer Rumie Azzan falling from 9th floor of STA in Kuching as there are many questions which remain unanswered – in particular whether it is suicide or murder?

There have been too many cases of mysterious deaths whether occurring under official custody or involving government agencies – like the most outrageous recent case of Customs officer, Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed, falling to his death from the third floor of the MACC office in Jalan Cochrane, Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

Now MACC is to hold interrogation only on the ground floor of any MACC premises – making it one of its kind in the world for anti-corruption agencies and undoubtedly an international laughing-stock.

This is trying to cure the symptom but not the disease – which is the lack of public confidence in the efficiency, independence and professionalism of the MACC.

Is the next measure for the MACC to move out of all multi-storey buildings and to operate only from single-storey buildings?

If the MACC and the government do not know how to secure public confidence in the efficiency, independence and professionalism of the MACC, this is further testimony that the Barisan Nasional is too decadent, corrupt and totally incapable of redemption and reform and a change of government is the only answer to revamp the whole system of governance in the country.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor