Media statement by Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 9^th June 2011: 

AG and Police should accede to most reasonable request of Sarbaini’s family to reveal police probe into senior custom officer’s death at MACC before any inquest is decided upon

The Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail and the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar should accede to the most reasonable request of Sarbaini’s family that police reveal its probe into the senior custom officer Ahmad Sarbaini’s death at MACC premises at Jalan Cochrane on April 6 before any inquest is decided upon.

In this connection, both the police and the MACC owe the Sarbaini family and the Malaysian public a response and explanation on the revelation by blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin that the police had conducted a thorough check on Ahmad Sarbaini’s assets and found no “unusual or extraordinary” wealth.

Raja Petra blogged: “He (Ahmad Sarbaini) had only three modest cars — a Perodua Kancil, a second-hand Honda CRV and a Proton Persona — and a Modenas Kriss bike, which he rode to the MACC office on that unfortunate morning of 6th April, the day of his death.

“He owned an apartment in Bukit Tinggi, Klang (RM65,872), an apartment in Puncak Alam (RM68,988), a Semi-D cluster house in Saujana Impian in Sungai Buloh (RM230,000) and RM35,000 in savings in Amanah Saham Bumiputra...All these were duly accounted for.”

Justice and public interests demand that the police and the MACC should come forward to confirm or deny these revelations about Sarbaini’s assets without having to wait for an inquest or a Royal Commission of Inquiry to be held – especially as this is the second MACC death after the mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock at MACC headquarters in Shah Alam exactly two years ago come July 16.

Let the Sarbaini family decide whether they want an inquest or a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

I will meet and discuss with Sarbaini’s family on the second MACC death in less than two years of the establishment of MACC to replace the Anti-Corruption Agency.

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