Teoh Beng Hock was a political secretary to a state government politician from the DAP. He was 30.

Kugan Ananthan was an alleged car thief.

One was detained for questioning by an anti-corruption agency. The other was detained for alleged car theft activities.

Both died in the course of being questioned.

I think those 2 cases are just symptomatic. Tragic as their deaths were, they weren’t unusual. I wonder how many more have been killed or severely hurt by Malaysian authorities under such circumstances.

Can Malaysians feel safe going into a law enforcement agency for any reason?

For now, it will be the usual and utter poppycock from the rulers about accidents and not pre-judging. A young man with loads to live for goes in for a very simple and routine questioning and ends up dead. Pre-judging?

Let’s just say I am extremely happy not to be living in Malaysia.

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A childhood friend of mine is dead. Lee Mun Leong used to come to our house almost every day, during our schooldays. He was my brother’s age. We’d cycle around to a few other mates’ houses. We lived in Palm Grove in Klang. He lived across the main Klang/Port Klang thoroughfare – I forget what that neighbourhood was called, Taman Gembira or something. He’d cycle to our house, we’d chat and then we’d cycle to PetalingGarden, or Chi Liung or Southern Park to see other mates of ours. We’d often go to a coffeeshop for drinks or food. He was a nice guy.

Later when we left school, I lost contact with him. When I returned to Malaysia after uni in Sydney I caught up with him again. He was working in a bank then. He was smoking heavily and said he had health problems. I didn’t ask in details but remembered he was diabetic.

He didn’t seem happy. He tried to start a small business. A few months ago my brother texted me and told me Mun Leong was very ill. His diabetes had worsened and he had to have his feet amputated. My brother told me Mun Leong was depressed.

Last night my brother texted me saying Mun Leong had died. My heart sank.

We were watching Harry Potter’s sixth film and were in a cinema when my phone buzzed. When we came home I told Tress.

Life is short. Too short for idiotic government and law enforcement agencies to rob us blind. Malaysia my dear Malaysia. Isnt it time to have a Malaysian Bastille and get rid of those bastards?