KUALA LUMPUR – A DAP lawmaker has submitted a parliamentary motion seeking for the government to expedite investigations into former political aide Teoh Beng Hock’s death, stressing that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) integrity and reputation are at stake.
Chow Yu Hui (Raub-PH) said the motion, submitted under Standing Order 18(2), is of public importance and should be expedited as probes into Teoh’s death after questioning by MACC in 2009 have yet to see significant progress.
Chow referenced a parliamentary written response from the Home Ministry on March 20 last year in which he was informed that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had on January 6 requested the police record more statements from key witnesses before re-submitting their investigation papers for further action.
“On July 2, 2024, I was given a similar answer in another parliamentary written reply. In other words, there have been no developments in investigations into Teoh’s case since the Madani government was formed until today.
“(MACC) conducts probes into various cases deemed to be of public importance. It is vital to ensure their reputation and integrity (is upheld) to avoid leakages in public funds,” the government backbencher told a press conference in Parliament today.
Chow also said MPs should debate the decision to reopen investigations under Section 342 of the Penal Code for wrongful imprisonment as the late Teoh’s family is seeking for his death to be probed under Section 302 of the same legislation for murder.
Teoh’s body was found on the fifth-floor landing of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on the morning of July 16, 2009, after being questioned overnight by officers from the anti-graft agency at their office on the 14th floor.
At the time of his death, Teoh was the political aide to the then-Selangor executive councillor, Ean Yong, who was also DAP’s Seri Kembangan assemblyman.
In 2011, a royal commission of inquiry established to investigate Teoh’s death concluded that he had been driven to commit suicide due to the aggressive nature of MACC’s questioning.
The appellate court, in 2014, then ruled that Teoh’s death was caused by the act of “a person or persons unknown”, including officers from the anti-graft agency who grilled him before he was found dead.
In June 2022, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted Teoh’s parents – father Teoh Leong Hwee and mother Teng Shuw Hoi – leave to initiate judicial review proceedings to compel the police to complete investigations into their son’s death.
Meanwhile, Chow also said he has submitted another motion seeking permission for an urgent debate to allow civilians and civil society groups to enter Parliament when submitting memoranda of demands to the government.
“MPs are here because we were elected by the people who gave us the mandate to represent them. Parliament belongs to the rakyat and should be a place where their voices are heard and their issues are debated.”
Yesterday, police intercepted representatives from the Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement outside Parliament’s gate, with officers forming a human barrier formation to prevent the group from entering its premises.
The association is now demanding Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail compensate its members who sustained injuries and damaged belongings during the altercation with police. – July 16, 2024