Royal commission you say?

Royal commission a waste of time?

I have been reading about how many quarters are clamouring for the setting of a Royal Commission of enquiry to enquire into the death of Teoh Beng Hock. The politicians from both sets of the divide have been asking for it. The family of the deceased and even the average Ah Seng, Raju and Ali is asking for such an enquiry to be set up.

I have to say that I am of the view that such an enquiry would be simply a waste of time. Now you must be thinking that I have gone off my rockers right? The simple truth is this, past events had shown us in clear and no uncertain terms that such an enquiry conducted by a Royal Commission is pure hog wash and a waste of time. Nothing comes out of it. Don't believe me? Let me explain then.

I recall how all we lawyers were up in arms and took to the streets of Putrajaya trying to push for the setting of such a Royal Commission into the Lingam "correct, correct, correct" tapes. In fact on that day in the month of September I remember shouting my voice hoarse demanding for such an enquiry to be set up by the BN government. My friends and I must have shouted/screamed a tad too loud for even mother was moved to let loose on that day. She quite literally poured down her "tears" on that historic day. But that didn't dampen our spirits, in fact it strengthened our resolve to persevere in our demands for such a Royal enquiry to be initiated. And how we were elated when later the government acceded to the demands and decided to call for such an enquiry.

Alas! After all the hype and publicity the Royal Commission generated whilst the enquiry was going on (we were genuinely hopeful that there would be some form of honest closure to the sordid affair) it was rather sad to note that to date there has been no genuine effort taken by the BN government to ensure all those implicated in the "Lingam tapes" affair would be brought to book. In fact to date there has been not a single prosecution instituted against any individual with regards this matter despite the findings of the Royal Commission.

So....at this juncture I ask...What is the point? What guarantee do we Malaysians have that justice would be upheld after such an enquiry is held into Teoh's death? What guarantee does the family of the deceased have that the guilty (if any) would be held accountable after such an enquiry?

M V Nathan