Civil society joint statement on the death of Teo Beng Hock : Royal Commission of Inquiry on 1st Political Death under Najib
July 17, 2009
A press conference was held at the KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall this morning. A joint statement, indorsed by several civil society initatives, was released. The full text of the same, and the list of indorsees, is reproduced below.
____________________________________________________
We, the undersigned civil society groups hereby register our shock, grief and anger at the first political death under the 105-day-old Najib Administration.
Our hearts go out to the fiancée and family of Mr Teo Beng Hock, political secretary of Selangor State Executive Councilor Ean Yong Hian Wah who died falling off the Selangor headquarters of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) reportedly on Thursday afternoon, just a day before his planned marriage registration.
We demand:
(1) the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry to independently and thoroughly investigate the incident and include in its terms of reference the key issue of whether the present command and power structure of MACC has played a role in this tragic incident. Half of the members of the Royal Commission should be nominated by the Federal Opposition to ensure credibility.
(2) that MACC national director Ahmad Said, Selangor Director Moh Samsudin and all officers involved in the investigation of Ean Yong and his fellow lawmakers be immediately suspended until the completion of the Royal Commission’s work to ensure no cover up or obstruction to the investigation.
No one should die because of politics
We are extremely shocked and saddened that politics in Malaysia is not only degrading human freedom and dignity, but has also claimed human life. While many Malaysians have suffered political persecution including detention without trial and torture, no one – to our knowledge – has directly died at the hand of a government institution because of politics since the Kampung Memali incident in 1985.
No blood should be shed because of politics. Even one life lost is too many. Unfortunately, Beng Hock is now the first political death under the Najib Administration and under the MACC, which has joined the police force in causing death in custody.
We, and we are sure, all Malaysians categorically demand call on PM Najib Razak to see to justice being done on Beng Hock’s death.
It was Najib’s failure that he had done nothing in his first 100 days to investigate the allegation by UMNO Maran Division Committee Member Halimi Kamaruzzaman that he was roughed up and forced to strip by MACC officers in a politically-motivated investigation targeting another UMNO politician Norza Zakaria. If that was done, Beng Hock may still be alive now.
Just a week ago, forty civil society groups listed the reform of MACC as one of Najib’s Key Performance Indicators in his second 100 days. It is essential that Najib institutes political reforms to restore democracy and human rights.
A Royal Commission of Inquiry is the only acceptable body that can resolve and bring to a closure the many unanswered questions on the shocking developments leading to and after the death of Beng Hock:
Firstly, isn’t the MACC’s investigation and office raids on Mr Ean Yong and six other Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers in State Assembly over alleged corruption in constituency fund allocation around RM 500,000-600,000 selective and politically motivated? Why have long standing and vastly more serious scandals like that of the RM 12.5 billion PKFZ project and the RM 24-million “Khir Palace” not been pursued with the same enthusiasm and vigour?
Secondly, Beng Hock was interrogated for 10 hours and 45 minutes consecutively from 5pm on Wednesday to 3.45 am Thursday. This was revealed by the MACC Director of Investigation Mohd Shukri Abdul himself. What was the MACC’s motive in interrogating Beng Hock in such an unacceptable sleep-depriving manner that rivals the mental torture at Guantanamo Bay and why was he denied the presence of his counsel?
Thirdly, Beng Hock was then allegedly released and allowed to rest in the lobby of the MACC office. According to Mohd Shukri Abdul, he was still seen by a MACC officer at 6am. Who was this hard working officer who turned up at work at 6am? Why was Beng Hock incommunicado, according to Ean Yong, even after his alleged release? Why did he not drive home after resting?
Fourthly, the MACC refused to confirm Ean Yong of Beng Hock’s death at 4 pm when they claimed to have known about it at 1.30pm. Why? Why did MACC call a press conference only at 5pm, three and a half hours after knowledge of the death?
Fifthly, Beng Hock’s family was first denied access to his body and later given only one and a half hour to bring their own pathologist. What was the logic behind these incomprehensible decisions? Was there anything to hide?
Malaysians are demanding answers to all these questions. The least we must do now is to ensure that justice is done with no cover up whatsoever and with full transparency and credibility.
Nazri Must Apologize
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz should apologize unreservedly to Beng Hock’s family for speculating that Beng Hock had jumped off the building ahead of the conclusion of thorough and unbiased investigation.
Initiated by
1. Ragunath Kesavan, President, The Bar Council
2. Liau Kok Fah, Chairperson, Civil Right Committee, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor
Chinese Assembly Hall（CRC-KLSCAH）
3. Gayathry Venkiteswaran, Executive Director, Centre for Independent Journalism（CIJ）
4. Dr Lim Teck Ghee, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Initiatives（CPI）
5. Andrew Khoo, Convener, Civil Society Initiative for
Parliamentary Reform（CSI@Parliament）
6. K. Arumugam, Coordinator, Group of Concerned Citizens（GCC）
7. Ng Chong Soon, President, Youth Section of Kuala Lumpur and
Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall（YS-KLSCAH）
8. Lee Song Yong, Secretary of National Affairs,
Malaysia Youth and Student Democratic Movement（DEMA）
9. Maria Chin Abdullah, Executive Director,
Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor（Empower）
10.Zaid Kamaruddin, President, Jamaah Islah Malaysia（JIM）
11.Haris Ibrahim, Convenor, People’s Parliament
12.Tah Moon Hui, Coordinator, Suara Rakyat Malaysia（Suaram）
13.Wong Chin Huat, Chairperson, Writer Alliance for Media Independence（WAMI）
14.Kua Sin Kheng, President,
Youth Section of Malacca Chinese Assembly Hall（YS-MCAH）
15.Low Seong Teong, President, Youth Section of Negeri Sembilan
Chinese Assembly Hall（YS-NSCAH）
16.Tang Kwai Fun, Director of Civil Society Committee LLG Cultural Development Centre
（LLGCSC）
17. Ho Yock Lin, Coordinator for Solidarity Building Committee, All Women’s Action Society
Malaysia (AWAM)
July 17, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Please add my signature to the above statement.
July 17, 2009 at 5:05 pm
please add my signature 2.
July 17, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Some background of this whole situation;
1) Teoh was picked up by MACC and it has been widely reported
2) Teoh was a WITNESS to a corruption case involving top DAP officials
Question;
1) Who benefits from his death?
- BN knows that their popularity is dwindling. MACC surely wont gain from this, neither would BN.
Would MACC benefit at all by killing him IN THEIR OWN BUILDING??
- If teoh was a witness then who is the suspect?
You see, Teoh was there to give evidence against some top DAP officials. As we know some of them are klinked to the underworld. And we all know the triad code among the chinese (You talk, you die) .
And that is what Teoh did – TALK.
He decided to come clean and tell it all. And he knows that after this, his life , his family and his soon to be wife will be in danger.
He knows how the chinese triads operate.
He decided to not die in their hands but rather, he chose what he deemed was a more dignified way to go.
Question again – who really benefits from his death? Najib? MACC?
….or the triad king pins of DAP he was about to implicate?
We all know about the gangsters in DAP.. just ask Wee Choo Keong.
July 17, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Fxxx the idiot!!!!
I hope ur body was on the 5th floor
July 17, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Zophan, or whoever you are, what a nasty mind you have. Given the Teoh family’s grief, your remarks are totally callous and void of human feelings.
If what you say be the case, Najib would waste no time setting up a commission of inquiry. Let’s see if he does.
July 17, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Is that all ? Bet you everything will be forgotten with the passage of time if it is left to the authorities.
July 17, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Teo Beng Hock’s unnatural death does not seem to tally with what we know about suicide.
He was released from interrogation at 3.45am and was still seen to be alive at 6.00am.His body was found dead at 1.30pm. Exact time of death is unknown.
Suicidal behaviour is a cry of pain.The depressed or traumatised persons mostly feel that they are trapped and there is no way of escape from pain except through death. The central feature of suicide is physical and psychological entrapment and the feeling of helplessness normally lasts quite some time ranging from weeks to months. It develops from depression to hopelessness to suicide.
Just within a matter of a few hours, he was dead. He had all ways and means to get out of MACC building. He was not trapped inside physically. Neither would we expect him trapping himself psychologically so readily for the position he held for the opposition requires a fair amount of unbriddled optimism.He was not really isolated at that time. A key factor for suicide appears to be missing here.
Other external circumstances need to be known. MACC is an important government building. Presumably, around 7.30am,the maintenance staff would come in to switch on the chillers for air-conditioning.And other office staff would start trickling in.
Someone who is intent on suicide would choose a time and place that would ensure that their plan would not be foiled. With office staff walking in and out of the builiding, why would he choose the early busy morning office hours and MACC building?
The very fact that he was free to go and yet did not and it all happened within a few hours suggests that his death goes against the expectation of typical suicidal behaviour.
July 17, 2009 at 8:55 pm
nazri can be sued for saying that Teoh jumped. Before anything at all, this guy talked like that . Real silly so-called-leader.
July 17, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Now we know what the M in MACC stands for.
July 20, 2009 at 5:31 pm
:O….u planning on becoming a conspiracy theorist??
hehe no offence arr!!
July 17, 2009 at 11:04 pm
somebody ? who took his life? Did he go overboard or did others go overboard?
Somebody dies in custody? Did he kill himself? Just like Somebody speculated Anwer punched himself in his eye? self inflicted they say?
We should all turn up at his funeral.
July 20, 2009 at 5:33 pm
but he wasnt in custody woh…he was free to leave but he decided to stay back!! and the plot thickens!!
July 18, 2009 at 12:33 am
BN (aka the government & civil servant included) has been well known for it’s “bull shit” & “amazingly low class” story maker. It’s so amazing that we the people can be fooled by them for >50 years and still willing to be fooled by them…. Pls Use your vote wisely during the next GE or any election.
1Malaysia=1Malay….sial…
July 18, 2009 at 2:01 am
put my name in there bro.
btw, why no one from PAS on the list?
July 18, 2009 at 2:27 am
Furthermore, don’t those who genuinely commit suicide almost always leave a note behind explaining why they have done it?
And if he was meant to be getting married that day do you not think that he would have almost certainly written one?
So has anyone at MACC found a suicide note from Teo Beng Hock?
“Imagine Power To The People” John Lennon.
July 20, 2009 at 5:35 pm
it could have also be spontaneous and implusive mah!! who knows what drives ppl to do what they do…but speculation doesn’t solve anything also no??
July 18, 2009 at 5:51 am
Add my name too to teh list.
But where is Hindraf? Or is this not an Indian matter and therefore not a Hindraf concern?
Where is the Church? Or is the church waiting for a violation that is more serious than the sacrilege of its most important sacraments before it begins its march? By then there will be no one to even cheer them on.
July 18, 2009 at 7:05 am
Oh when, oh when, will the killings stop ?
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin do something and stop there unlawful killlings.
July 18, 2009 at 9:36 am
Haris,
The MACC is now being used to destabilise the State Govt Of Selangor. Remember how they charged the 2 blokes in Perak and turned them over to BN.
Its open secret who’s the coup plotter in Perak. After the success in the sting, he is now the head of UMNO Selangor. He is using the same tactics to unseat a legitimately elected Govt. Teoh is just collateral damage and he will not stop until the objective is achieved.
Is this 1Malaysia, Najib? Plotting to overthrow a legitimately elected Govt? Abusing the MACC to do the dirty work for you? God forbids. This is 1BLACK MALAYSIA, Najib!
July 18, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Pls add my signature as well.
MAY ALL MALAYSIAN WAKE UP TO THIS, PLS SEE THROUGH THE PLOT BY THE IRRESPONSIBLE POLITICIANS AND KEEP ON FIGHTING FOR A BETTER COUNTRY TO LEAVE IN.
PLS DON’T BE FOOLED BY THEM AS THIS IS THE CONSEQUENCE THEY PROMISED IF WE VOTED FOR OPPOSITION! PLS DON’T BACKUP AT THIS POINT OF TIME.
WE ARE MALAYSIAN AND WE WANT TO DECLARE PROUDLY AGAIN IN THE FACE OF GLOBALISATION THAT WE ARE MALAYSIAN, DO NOT SEEK IMMEDIATE BENEFITS AND COVER UP THE TRUTH, IT’S A SHAME TO BE FOOLED BY THOSE IDIOTS WHO SERVE THEMSELVES ABOVE THE PEOPLE AND NOT RECOGNISING IT. IT’S BETTER TO DIE WITH DIGNITY RATHER LIVE IN SHAME!!!!!
July 18, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Did they really released him at 3.45am early Thursday? Because another Kajang municipal councillor Tan Boon Hwa, who was grilled by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on Wednesday was released at 1.00 pm on Thursday.
July 18, 2009 at 10:35 pm
With the launched of our new Razaksat satellite in orbit,the MACC (Murderers Agency Central Command) is now the duplicate Unit Tindakan Khas under the command of our CEO of the country.
Their duty is to ensure political enemies be neutralised when the big boss is out of the country during this vacuum period so that a draconian fear be instilled on the rakyat.
July 19, 2009 at 1:40 am
Please demand also the list of Officers and personnels having been involved and around during the interrogation of Beng Hock in Sequence of Time.
Ask the friends and relatives to list clearly what had been received from MACC the belonging of Beng Hock. How about his handphones, notebook, etc..
There cannot be ANY Reason of Beng Hock to commit suicide!!
July 19, 2009 at 9:32 am
Never have I heard of a person falling down from a high building experiencing a wardrobe malfunction. The tear from Teoh’s trousers is highly suspicious and unlikely. There were no blood splashing around where he fell. The only thing I can conclude is that Teoh was tortured to death and his body flung out of the window. And the only conclusion the police can come in their preliminary investigation is that Teoh died due to injuries from a high fall. Morons, who do not know that? Even a kindergarten child would do better.
But I do know of one famous wardrobe malfunction. This came from the sister of Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson during one of her high-octane performance. From a person bigger than life itself, and combining with another heart-trob, Justin Timberlake the chemistry flow between them inevitably caused a wardrobe malfunction, to the astonishment and delight of million of MTV gawkers.
But the MACC episode is macabre and disgusting. This is a political murder engineered by no other than the veteran Perak-coup leader, Najib.
July 19, 2009 at 12:55 pm
[...] There is a civil society joint statement on the People’s Parliament HERE. I would like to make known here that I fully endorse the said joint statement. Possibly related [...]
July 19, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Do add my name too.
Please read M2day: Stop talking, start ACTing.
It doesn’t make sense to talk morality or ethics if it’s not in their vocabulary. Nor logic or fact when they are been in doing bad.
Show your concern by being PRESENT in those gatherings that have been organised. Be CALM and don’t get into their trap.
July 19, 2009 at 8:47 pm
zophan,
why different names in different blogs. too ashame? you mean MACC is so useless as to allow triads to get into the building and finished off the unfortunate Teoh?
oh btw, pls put your ears onto the ground. the triads controlled MCA. Why bother with a poor party like DAP which does not accord the triads money or position by association.
Before signing off, wish next time its your child that falls from the 14th floor of MACC and then come back to us to say its the works of the triads. May be, then only then I be less skeptical.
July 20, 2009 at 1:07 pm
I just don’t trust the MACC, Malaysian Police, or any BN Reps anymore. All they can and have to do is to say something to show that they are not dumb..even sometimes what they said show that they are nothing but idiots. Very easy…Just declare the case as “Sudden Death” and tell the rakyat that the case is already being investigate. These people will always say that no one can question cases while under their “investigation”. They are working very hard gathering evidence for their “investigation”. Are these people gathering evidence so that all evidences can be destroyed and no one will ever know the truth??. They are just devil in disguise. Lets just wait and see what is the outcome of their “investigation”.