Pakatan, reunited by death
By Adib Zalkapli, The Malaysian Insider
Showing cracks just recently, a mere 16 months after their historic electoral gains, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) today once again attempted to strengthen their alliance and present a united front days after the death of DAP activist Teoh Beng Hock.
Teoh, political secretary to Selangor executive councillor, Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on July 16 outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in Shah Alam. The 30-year-old was earlier questioned for alleged abuse of public funds by his superior.
“Beng Hock is our hero,” Datuk Husam Musa, a member of PAS’s central working committee, declared to the some 2,000 people at Teoh’s memorial in Stadium Kelana Jaya.
“There is no doubt that Beng Hock was murdered,” the PAS leader told the crowd who were mostly clad in black for the memorial. “Malaysia is not safe anymore,” he added.
Just days before, MACC opened investigations on seven Selangor lawmakers, including Ean Yong Hian Wah, the state executive councillor came under attack from Pakatan’s own backbenchers.
PKR’s Azmin Ali, who is the party’s chief whip in the state assembly, called for the executive council posts to be reshuffled, questioning the ability of some of the members of the administration to perform their duties.
Protestors burning copies of Umno-owned Berita Minggu for turning anger over Teoh Beng Hock's death into a racial issue. – Picture by Jack Ooi
PKR MP Wee Choo Keong, who left DAP to form his own party before standing on the party’s ticket in Election 2008, joined in to accuse an unnamed state executive councillor of having ties with secret societies.
Today, leaders of the three PR parties, including Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, shared a stage to take advantage of the public anger over Teoh’s sudden death.
“How can a bright young man walk into MACC office as a witness, only to return as a dead body?” DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang asked the crowd.
