Beng Hock movement seeks 100,000 signatures for royal probe
By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — The Malaysians for Beng Hock movement is seeking public support to set up a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to investigate Teoh Beng Hock’s death.
Chong Kok Siong, the group’s co-ordinator, told reporters today that it will be a three-month-long campaign to get 100,000 signatures, to be submitted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“It now appears that an independent, credible and professional RCI is the best way to bring about justice to Beng Hock’s family as the coroner’s inquest has failed to provide answers to the most crucial questions surrounding Beng Hock’s death in a believable way,” he said at Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH).
The 30-year-old Teoh was found dead on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16 last year after he was interrogated overnight by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in connection with suspected abuse of state funds by Selangor lawmakers. The Selangor MACC headquarters was then located on the 14th floor of the same building.
Teoh, who was the political secretary to Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, had been interrogated overnight by the MACC, from July 15 evening to July 16 morning, on allegations his boss had misused state funds.
Ng Yap Hwa, another co-ordinator of the movement, said he did not think it was premature to launch this campaign even as the inquest was still going on.
“Even at the beginning of this, when we found out about Beng Hock’s death, the family had already asked for a royal commission of inquiry. In the past one year, we see that the inquest is very unjust and that there are people who try to manipulate… it is an insult to Beng Hock and his family,” he said.
Chong pointed out that the Bar Council had already called for an RCI probe.
