Sarbaini’s death ruled a misadventure

Senior Customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed’s fatal fall at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office here five months ago was an accident, the coroner’s court ruled today.

Coroner Aizatul Akmal Maharani also ruled out any element of foul play involved in the father of five’s death, effectively clearing the national graftbusters of blame.

However, he remarked that an MACC officer whom he named as “Kamal”, tasked to look after Ahmad Sarbaini that April 6 morning, had been “cuai (negligent)” when he left the Customs man alone for a few seconds.

Aizatul said those few seconds had likely made a crucial impact on Ahmad Sarbaini’s mind.
“The second his handphone was taken away and he was then asked to wait in the witness room, the deceased may have thought he would be arrested again by MACC.

“I believe that at that second, the deceased’s worry that he would, once again, be in hell on earth, had reached the maximum level,” the coroner said in his verdict, noting Ahmad Sarbaini used those same words to relate his lock-up experience at Bukit Jalil, following the March 29 Customs raid, to a friend who had testified in the inquest.



Aizatul said the trauma, coupled with the seizure of his handphone, must have preyed heavily on Ahmad Sarbaini’s mind so as to make him consider the window exit.

The incident was the second time a person had died while under the MACC’s care.

Teoh Beng Hock Teoh, a DAP political aide, was found dead on July 16, 2009 on the fifth-floor corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam after he was questioned overnight by MACC officers at their then-Selangor headquarters. He was 30.

Aged 56, Ahmad Sarbaini, who had been attached to the Port Klang Customs office, was found dead on a badminton court on the first floor of the MACC building in Cheras here on April 6, after returning to then-spanking new headquarters in Jalan Cochrane, purportedly to amend his previous testimony as a witness.

The inquest into his death, which ran over the course of one month, sat for 12 days and saw 34 witnesses testifying.

A forensic pathology expert from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia who had had supervised the autopsy testified that Ahmad Sarbaini had probably lost his balance while on the narrow ledge outside the MACC building’s third-floor pantry window and fell backwards 10 metres to the badminton court.

A forensics officer had also told the inquest that Ahmad Sarbaini did not commit suicide nor was he murdered. DSP Sharul Othman Mansur said Ahmad Sarbaini tried to jump to the roof of the badminton court but failed and fell to his death.

The Selangor Customs assistant director had been remanded on March 29 following a MACC-led swoop on a Customs syndicate that it said was responsible for at least RM3 billion in unpaid taxes, resulting in the arrest of 62 officers.

But just days ago, several Umno-linked blogs released a sex video in an apparent attempt to tarnish the reputation of Customs officers ahead of today’s verdict.

The video — which appears to have been secretly recorded — shows a Malay man engaging in sex with a Caucasian woman in what looks like a hotel room.

The man in the video is not named, but bloggers had linked the recording, which is titled “Pegawai Kastam Yang Terlampau,” to Ahmad Sarbaini’s death, but furnished nothing of substance to back their claim.

Ahmad Sarbaini is survived by one wife, Maziah Manap, and five children aged between 12 and 27.



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This should put an end to the controversy.

Now MACC should focus on real work.

Like robbing more money changers? Ha Ha...

Actually time for them to close shop. Macc is a shame to Malaysia.

murder in Malaysia is never called murde. It is called forced suicide or an accident.
They must explain why Sarbaini would go out on the ledge to "escape" when he could have easily walked out the front door, since he was neither under arrest or held against his will . . . . or was he?

Coroner’s verdict absolves MACC

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has been “100 per cent” cleared of blame by the coroner’s court when it ruled that a Customs officer’s death in the graftbuster’s Kuala Lumpur office was by misadventure, the commission’s lawyer said today.

Prominent lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who was hired to act for the national anti-graft body, beamed as he told reporters his client has been fully absolved by the verdict on the death of Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed.

However, the prominent lawyer said he agreed with coroner Aizatul Akmal Maharani’s observation that an MACC officer named “Kamal” had been negligent in his duty for leaving the former Customs assistant director alone at its Jalan Cochrane headquarters.

“He should not have left a person for even one second,” Muhammad Shafee said, after the verdict announcement, adding that he would advise MACC to act on the coroner’s remark.

“For sure there’ll be a follow-up on Kamal,” the lawyer told reporters.



MACC assistant superintendent Kamal Awang Besar had testified during the inquest that he left Sarbaini alone in a witness room for three to four minutes before the latter disappeared, as he wanted to get further instructions from investigating officer (IO) Abd Ghani Ali.

Kamal and another colleague with the same rank, Sheikh Niza Khairy Sheikh Mohamad, were both suspended on April 8, after the death.



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Nothing surprising. This is the expected result from the UMNO's judge even before the procedure started.

the rayat already predicted the outcome of the inquest is no man is to be blame, lets blame god for this horrible tragedy.

and More MACC funds used to pay Shafee and judge rather than using it to catch crooks. No wonder Shafee has such a huge smile on his face. Any lawyer could have got MACC the win

It simply means the MACC can now carry on taking the law in its own hands. Better change name to the MALAYSIAN ABATTOIR COMMISSION where things alive enter to come out DEAD!

Umno dog blogger use sex video to attack Customs ahead of Sarbaini verdict

Umno dog-linked blogs have released a sex video in an apparent attempt to tarnish the reputation of Customs officers ahead of Monday’s verdict in the inquest into the death of Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed.

The video — which appears to have been secretly recorded — shows a Malay man engaging in sex with a Caucasian woman in what looks like a hotel room.

Umno-linked blog theunspinners.blogspot.com was the first to release the video, claiming the man in the recording was a Customs officer while suggesting the woman was a Russian prostitute.

The man in the video is not named, but the blogger links the recording, which is titled “Pegawai Kastam Yang Terlampau,” to the senior Customs officer’s death while in the custody of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) earlier this year.

The blogger also echoes the position of the MACC and its lawyer Datuk Seri Shafee Muhamad Shafee Abdullah during the Ahmad Sarbaini inquest.

Ahmad Sarbaini, the Selangor Customs assistant director, is believed to have fallen from the third-floor pantry of the MACC office in Jalan Cochrane here on April 6 and landed on the badminton court on the first floor.

Ahmad Sarbaini’s case is seen as high profile as it was the second death involving a person under the MACC’s care.

Teoh Beng Hock Teoh, a DAP political aide, was found dead on July 16, 2009 on the fifth-floor corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam after he was questioned overnight by MACC officers at their then-Selangor headquarters.

Shafee had argued during the inquest that there had been no evidence presented to suggest either homicide or foul play, as claimed by Ahmad Sarbaini’s family.

The lawyer said that there was also compelling evidence that Ahmad Sarbaini had climbed out of the window, from which he is believed to have fallen, on his own.

The release of the video that is being linked to the Customs Department comes after Ahmad Sarbaini’s widow released a statement on Raja Petra Kamarudin’s Malaysia Today website claiming that Shafee and the MACC had defamed her husband.

Maziah Manap said she was unhappy with Shafee for alleging that her husband had attempted to escape from the MACC office to meet a friend and ensure the latter’s statement was consistent with his own statement.



In its posting that accompanied the release of the sex video, theunspinners.blogspot.com writes that “it was clear Sarbaini was in state of panic.”

“When he wanted to change his statement to say he did not know some forwarders, the MACC told him they would call a few of the forwarders.

“This caused him to panic and when he was left alone he ran through the pantry door to the window. He thought he could jump onto the roof of the car park which appeared near but was quite far.”

The coroner’s court will on Monday deliver its verdict in the inquest into Ahmad Sarbaini’s death.



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UMNO I think is a porn com.pany. How did they get so many porn movies...UMNO should engage better bloggers to engage the Pakatan bloggers in the cyber war. What has UMNO got to offer? Sex? Sodomies? The use of religion? The use of race? The use of UMNO Youth to demonstrate in front of the PKR Head quarter and reportedly threatened to burn down the building?

Is this the kind of future leaders you want? From UMNO? Malaysians, wake up, it is high time we dump UMNO/MCA/MIC/GELAKAN/SUPP/PBB/PBS/LDP and the likes for practising gutter politics! Just tell them we are not buying it. This UMNO bloggers are sex maniacs!

Stay clear of them, Malaysians! Just stay clear of UMNO! They continue to use the weaker sex as a tool in their quest for power and in the process making Wanita, Puteri, UMNO, MCA, MIC a joke and a tool for their sexual satisfactions! Vote Pakatan Rakyat, send UMNO to the dustbins of Malaysian politics! Malaysians, bersatu, Selamatkan Malaysia!

Because UMNO bloggers are all sex crazed. They can think of nothing else except SEX and SODOMY.

Mat Sabu charge will boost opposition support

An MCA leader today slammed the move to charge PAS’s Mohamad Sabu for his Bukit Kepong remarks, predicting it would tarnish the government’s image and elicit sympathy for the federal opposition.

MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu said prosecuting the PAS deputy president would also give the opposition the opportunity to cast doubt on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s recent promise to increase civil liberties.

Gan added that the government should have allowed Mohamad and his supporters to “continue making a fool of themselves” instead of taking the matter to court.

“Historical controversies ought to be resolved through level-headed debates and academic researches.

“Resorting to the courts may shed a negative light on the government and allow the opposition to spread cynicisms on the goodwill the prime minister has generated by the Malaysia Day eve groundbreaking reforms pledge, especially the abolishment of the Internal Security Act (ISA),” he said in a statement today.

Mohamad, popularly known as Mat Sabu, claimed trial on Wednesday to a criminal defamation charge of glorifying communist guerrillas and defaming the policemen and soldiers who defended the Bukit Kepong police station when it came under attack in 1950.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) immediately accused Najib of contradicting his own promise to improve civil liberties, with Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim describing the move as “malicious persecution”.

Najib announced a raft of reforms last week to give Malaysians more freedom but Mohamad’s prosecution has renewed fears of a crackdown against dissent.

Opposition politicians are convinced that the Najib administration will continue to prosecute its rivals despite the prime minister’s reform pledges, pointing out plans to replace the ISA with two new security laws.

Umno’s Utusan Malaysia had first accused the Mat Sabu of glorifying Ahmad Indera in an August 27 report that quoted him as saying that the communist leader was a true hero.

Despite disagreeing with the move to charge Mat Sabu, Gan stressed today that he opposed the PAS leader’s remarks as it had hurt the families of the victims in the tragedy.



“Many are furious with his views, especially those in Johor, where I come from. His statement is hurtful and has caused painful grievances to the victims’ families and their descendants. It reflects the true character of a mischievous politician,” he said.

He likened Mat Sabu’s controversial remarks to that of DAP MP M. Manoharan’s statement about changing the Jalur Gemilang once the opposition seizes power, saying they were symptoms of “politicians intoxicated by the lust to take over Putrajaya”.

Mat Sabu faces two years in prison and a fine if convicted.



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the AG decides whether to prosecute or not. But the AG, from his unfair decisions especially against the opposition members has led the people to lose faith in him as an Independent authority. This is compounded by the many charges directed against him for corruption. He has sold his dignity to the devil.

Talking about defamation, people forget that two groups are involved. When Mat Sabu says that the hero is Mat Indera, the families of the slain policemen felt the dead relatives had been defamed. But if we remember the Johore official book on heroes, Mat Indera is there in that book.

Now, if the government claims Mat Indera is a villian, then his relatives can also say that he has been defamed. As such is the AG also taking those who claim that Mat Indera was a communist villian to court? If not, why not? Was he not a Malayan? Was he not an Independence fighter as recorded in the Johore official book?

See? There are two sides to this issue. If we take Mat Sabu to court for defamation of the policemen, should not those who claim that Mat Indera was some kind of terrorist be also charged with defamation of poor Mat Indera? Otherwise, where is the fairness, Mr. AG?

One may dispute what Mat Sabu said but he has his own point to suggest that we have allowed the British to hijacked our sovereignty and I want to agree with Maqt sabu.

What UMNO did in giving recognition to the victims suggest that UMNO has been the stooge of the British. I want to believe that it was UMNO that sold out on Malaysia and thoise who genuine fought for independence.

Umno-BN two-faced over hudud

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today accused Barisan Nasional and Umno of provoking greater tension among the different races by attempting to manipulate the hudud issue for political mileage.

“To the non-Muslim audience, they project an anti-Syariah stance, even on some occasions rubbishing it as a primitive system,” the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) de facto leader said.

This, he added, contrasted with Umno’s message “to the Muslim audience, [where] they relentlessly attack Pakatan Muslim leaders as being traitors to their religion and race by consorting with non-Muslim leaders.”

Anwar insisted that it was part of the ruling party’s “sinister” strategy to split its political foes and win the 13th general election, widely expected to be called within the next six months.



The opposition leader sought to play down the hudud row between PR allies DAP and PAS, stressing the pact operated only by consensus.

“As I have stated before, the right to practise one’s faith is a fundamental freedom that is guaranteed by the Federal Constitution,” he said, in a bid to allay fears that PAS may seek to enforce Islamic penal laws nationwide if PR comes to power.

He said the implementation of hudud in Kelantan is subject to the “maqasid al Syariah” or the Higher Objectives of the Syariah, which means justice for all, regardless of race, status or religion.

The result, he explained, meant non-Muslims would be excluded from Islamic jurisdiction, adding that this view has been included in the PR’s election manifesto, Orange Book.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had earlier today pledged his administration would block any attempt to implement the Islamic penal law, in a bid to curtail further debate on the fractious subject.

Hudud is a prickly subject in multicultural Malaysia where race and religion are closely-linked. The country’s 28-million population is also still haunted by the bloody racial riots of May 13, 1969.

The issue is raised cyclically as political fodder as its divisive nature often causes conflicts to occur within otherwise-friendly circles, making it ideal to pit parties with opposing ideologies against one another.



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UMNO is the illegitimate government of Malaysia, having got there through fraud. All God's people owe these criminals no honour whatsoever. Every mosque, church and temple leader should officially denounce UMNO and get their congregation to demand electoral reform, before voting UMNO out of office permanently.

Once Pakatan gets into power, it must very considerably increase the punishment for corruption by public servants, and then get the UMNO criminals charged and prosecuted. Although laws cannot be retrospectively applied, the increased tariffs can also increase the actual sentence imposed on these UMNO criminals even based on the old laws (because the sentencing guidelines will be applicable even on the old law). Malaysians must never ever allow criminals into government again.