Thursday 16 July 2009

Selangor exco’s aide falls to death

The aide of a Selangor state executive councillor has been found dead at the premises of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Shah Alam today

Teoh Beng Hock, (picture left) political secretary to Selangor executive council member Ean Yong Hian Wah had been taken to the MACC headquarters yesterday evening to assist in the agency’s investigation into the alleged abuse of constituency development funds by several state assemblymen.

His body was discovered by a janitor at 1:30pm on the fifth floor of the building.

MACC investigation division director Shukri Abdull told reporters that Teo was released at 3.45am after his officers had finished recording his statement but it seems he did not go home and was seen loitering in the building.

MACC officers had earlier that day raided (read here, here and here) Ean Yong’s office at the state secretariat building, seizing a desktop computer belonging to the state government and a laptop computer belonging to Teoh.

Selangor Chief Police Officer Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar, who was present at the scene this evening, said police would be interviewing the people who were last seen with Teoh.

He said a thorough investigation will be conducted and gave an assurance that "there is not going to be any cover-up" .

DAP leaders have asked for a thorough investigation into Teoh’s death.

Since Tuesday, the MACC has raided the offices and service centres of several assemblymen, including Ean Yong and Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San.

Others under investigation are Teresa Kok (Kinrara assemblyman), Elizabeth Wong (Bukit Lanjan), Dr Cheah Wing Yin (Damansara Utama), Edward Lee (Bukit Gasing) and Hannah Yeoh (Subang Jaya).

For full report read here, here and here.

16 comments:

Lee said...

Wow! Macc is indeed a scary institution.It can interrogates anyone for 8 hours non-stop...until the wee hours in the morning just because there is a general complain that perhaps a few thousand dollars of allocated fund might be misused.
Damn "efficient" or is it a form of harrassment?The death of someone under its care has to be thoroughly
investigated by the Police.Otherwise,
people will start to believe it is not really a government institution set up to fight corruption.So far, it seems to be hyperactive..investigating the less important cases rather than the more serious cases.

a concerned rakyat said...

An independent investigation must be carried out without delay and without political intervention to find out why he died in such a manner.

Eric said...

A bit too late Dato'. The legal fraternity now uses "CPO Selangor" as a codename for cover-up. Anyone seen the long-delayed Kugan report (or any other on the dozens of custodian victims)?

Anonymous said...

And why was he interrogated until the wee hours of the morning?

Strange innit? He was not a political detainee, a witness only, that was what the MACC investigation director said.

Was he forced into some kind of confession? Could he have been threatened?

This incident doesnt look pretty for the MACC.

matt said...

Yes, am shocked. it's unbelievable. Interrogated from evening to early morning. Couldnt he be allowed to go home & called back the next day?

He is just a witness. This is not a murder case.

Something aint quite right here.

Please investigate the case thoroughly.

It sure doesnt reflect well on MACC.

matt said...
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Anonymous said...

It's kinda strange that he was held back for so long, from evening until the early hours the next day when he was not a suspect, but a witness.

The MACC owes the public an explanation (and of course to Teoh's family) for his death.

Am glad the CPO has given his word to conduct a thorough investigation.

Ricky said...

The MACC should be held responsible for the death of this young man.

Isnt there a procedure to be followed? Why the lenghty interrogation? Why was his lawyer not allowed to accompany him?

Mind you, he was under their care.

Did he commit suicide? Cannot be. Why should he? I read that he was about to get married and before he left for the MACC Hq he was normal. That was what his boss said.

Very fishy, damn fisshy one this one.

Anonymous said...

They will certainly conduct a thorough investigation and at the end of it the finding will say: he (Teoh) committed sucide or he had a cardiact arrest and fell down from the 14th floor of the building.

In short, a c..k & bull answer.

Anonymous said...

Let's not jump the gun. Consider this:

1. His body was found in the premises of MACC building.

2. He was released at 3.45am but was seen loitering in the building.

It's the wee hours of the morning. Why was he still in the building? Has he any reason to stay on at such hours? Why didn't he go home?

Everybody seem to point fingers at MACC. But there's something fishy here, and it may not have anything to do with MACC!

Anonymous said...

Another death under custody and under mysterious circumstances. And another ammunition for use against the BN govt.

This latest incident only succeeded in reinforcing the public's perception of how bias the MACC is for its "selectivity" going after Only the Opposition which ended in a death of a witness who was assisting the "probe."

It's not good. Not good at all.

anak malaysia said...

Harapan saya: agar insiden sedih dan tragik ini tidak akan menjadi satu isu perkauman dan dieksploitasikan oleh pihak-pihak tertentu untuk kepentingan politik mereka.

Ucapan takziah kepada keluarga Teoh atas kematian anak mereka.

anak malaysia said...
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also a Malaysian said...

Me too, anak Malaysia.

It's my fervent hope that the issue will not turned racial.

Accountability - that is what we're asking for.

Teoh died under mysterious circumastances.

We want to know how he died such a tragic death.

I would ask the same from the autorities concerned of any Malaysian irrespective of colour and creed, who died the way Teoh did.

These are valid questions and should not be misinterpreted as political.

sohail khan said...

My condolence to the family of Teoh.

But I dont understand this finger pointing at MACC.

Teoh was taken in as a witness - an important witness - in the on-going probe into the alleged abuse of funds. So he is more useful alive than dead, logically speaking, that is.

So let common sense preveil and let the authorities carry out the investigation.

aku said...

Depa semua ada teori masing-masing. Aku pun ada.

Teori aku: Kemungkinan "it's an inside job" kut?

Saperti kata sohail khan, Teoh adalah seorang saksi yang penting dan menurut pengarah penyiasat MACC Shukri Abdull: “At 3.45am, he was allowed to leave, he promised to come today to bring some documents to assist in the investigations."

Kemungkinan besar dokumen2 ini penting yang dapat mambantu penyiasatan tersebut & mengenalpasti siapa yang sebenarnya terlibat dlm penyalahan gunakuasa mengendalikan "fund" tersebut. Bukan?

A lot of events could have happened between the time the interrogation was over and the time he was found dead. Kena siasat siapa he talked to.

Ini satu insiden yang tragik. Aku tak nafikan dan aku ucapkan takziah kpd keluarga mendiang.

I also want to know the truth, get to the bottom of this.

Tapi kita janganlah "jump the gun" saperti kata anonymous di atas menuduh mana pihak yang pada pendapat kita bertanggungjawab.

Aku pun tak mahu isu ini menjadi satu isu perkauman.

Adakan virgil night, ok untuk menunjukkan simpati kpd Teoh, tapi jangan terpekik terpekau dan menjerit2 kondem itu dan ini.

Biarkan siasatan dijalankan. Ketua Polis negeri pub dah janji akan jakankan :"a thorough investigation".

Kita tunggu dan lihat, dan kalau tak ada tindakan atau keputusan tak memuaskan, kita bertindak.