1Malaysia: Teoh Beng Hock, Kugan Ananthan and Adi Anwar
Teoh Beng Hock, 30, Political Secretary to Selangor Executive Councillor (Exco) Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead yesterday afternoon. He had fallen to his death onto a roof of a four-storey building next to the Selangor offices of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the 14th floor of the Masalam Building in Shah Alam.
Teoh, from Alor Gajah, Malacca, had been a former Sin Chew Jit Poh journalist. The MACC had summoned Teoh, aide to the DAP Exco Ean Yong (an equivalent of a Sarawak State Minister), to the building at 5pm on July 15, to be interviewed as a witness. The MACC had begun investigations into Ean Yong and six other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Selangor State Assembly members.
PR leaders have condemned the MACC raids of elected representatives’ offices, as being biased and politically motivated. The PR has pointed out that the MACC has ignored numerous reports of ill-gotten wealth involving former Umno Selangor Menteri Besar Khir Toyo and others.
MACC Director of Investigations Mohd Shukri Abdul said that the MACC had questioned Teoh from 5pm on July 15 and had freed Teoh at 3.45am on July 16 – a period of ten and three-quarter hours. Shukri claimed Teoh had said he was tired and wanted to sleep on a sofa at the MACC office. Yet Teoh had driven to the MACC office himself the day before, and his car remained parked outside.
Ean Yong had rushed to the MACC when he heard of Teoh’s death. “There was no reason for him to linger as his car was here,” he said.
Shukri said MACC staff had been alerted at 1.30pm yesterday by the screams of the person who discovered the body. He said MACC staff then recognised the deceased as one of the witnesses they had called in.
DAP leader Lim Kit Siang said he was shocked. He said Teoh had been planning to register his marriage today. “What is this country coming to?”
