It has been sometime since this happened, but I’m going to do a post about it anyway since the death of dear Teoh Beng Hock has to be known by more people.
Teoh, a political secretary to Selangor’s Seri Kembangan state assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) building, where he had most probably fell from the building. Teoh was taken under MACC’s custody for questioning pertaining to several cases of alleged abuse of constituency funds involving Selangor Pakatan assemblymen. As to how he died, suicide or murder, no one knows and the case is still under investigation.
As I am writing this, the Malaysian federal cabinet of the government has decided to hold a Royal Commission of Inquiry: it will be on the procedures (of MACC interrogations). Note something amiss? Well, unfortunately, the RCI does not include Teoh’s death in its investigation. Quoting The Star’s interview with Najib:
What will the Commission investigate?
It will be on the (MACC’s) procedures relating to its investigation, not the investigation on Teoh’s death and the normal investigations conducted by the MACC.
So far, various rallies and candlelight vigils have been organized, mainly by DAP together with the presence of Pakatan partners in the country. Most of the people who attended the rally believed that it is fishy Teoh was found dead outside the MACC. They also believed that Teoh couldn’t have committed suicide as he is set to register for marriage the next day. Later, it was revealed that late Teoh’s fiancee is 2 months pregnant with Teoh’s baby. There’s no reason for Teoh to commit suicide.
Probably every national political leader, including Ong Tee Keat, Chua Jui Meng, Anwar Ibrahim, Salahuddin Ayub, Khalid Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Karpal Singh attended Teoh’s funeral. The funeral procession was joined by thousands of people from all walks of life, showing how Teoh’s death have shaken the country. Even Najib has send his condolence through the form of a flower ring and his political secretary, Oh Ei Sun.
Irresponsible people from the other end of the political divide (i.e. UMNO) has fully empowered the newspaper (e.g. Utusan Malaysia, Mingguan Malaysia) they own to give their readers a different story altogether, playing down Teoh’s death. Some alleging that it was DAP who killed Teoh, while some even mocked on with his death. Playing the racial cards by saying Teoh’s death was the opposition attacks and were aimed at blackening the reputation of Malays. This begs the question: since when has the MACC become a Malay constitution?
I recently left a comment at MCA Gombak’s faceboo where a question was posed: “Do you think the MACC is so silly to murder someone in front of their own office?”
My answer was: “I dun think MACC would be that silly to murder witnesses. However, it is their responsibility to protect anyone they detain for questioning and ensure their safety, or else they have NO rights whatsoever to detain anyone at all for whatever reasons.”
RIP Teoh Beng Hock.
