PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has agreed to reopen investigations into Teoh Beng Hock’s death in 2009, according to lawyer Ramkarpal Singh.
According to Ramkarpal, this was the message conveyed by Anwar to family members of the late Teoh in a meeting, in which he and Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo were also present.
“The PM said he will raise this issue with the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain soon.
“Any follow-ups will be informed to Teoh’s family through me as his family lawyer,” said Ramkarpal to reporters after a meeting at Perdana Putra on Thursday (Aug 1).
Also present was Beng Hock’s sister Teoh Lee Lan, who said that during the meeting, she had conveyed her frustrations to Anwar regarding delays over investigations on the case.
“So, the PM said that this time around, the police will investigate this matter independently and professionally,” said Lee Lan.
Lee Lan thanked Anwar for meeting her and her family for 30 minutes at Perdana Putra on Thursday.
“Datuk Seri promised us that he is very concerned about this case.
“He said this is not a small case, this is a murder case, it is a case involving human lives. So he cares about this case and he will do his best to investigate it,” said Lee Lan.
During the meeting, Lee Lan also recalled a moment in 2009 when Anwar was present at Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, in a gathering to demand justice for Beng Hock.
“Anwar said he still remembered it and he even came to Beng Hock’s funeral,” said Lee Lan.
Lee Lan also said she proposed the government include an international expert to assist in police investigations.
“Anwar said let the police decide whether or not they need international criminal experts,” added Lee Lan.
On July 16, 2009, Beng Hock was detained overnight for questioning on the 14th floor of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in Shah Alam.
He was later found dead on the fifth-floor landing of the building.
In July 2011, a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) found that Beng Hock’s death was due to suicide.
But, in September 2014, the Court of Appeal ruled that Beng Hock’s death was caused by multiple injuries from a fall from the building which was accelerated by "an unlawful act or acts of person or persons unknown" including MACC officers who were involved in the case.
In May 2015, the government agreed to pay Beng Hock’s family RM600,000 as a settlement for a civil suit initiated in 2012 for negligence resulting in Beng Hock’s death.
In January 2022, Beng Hock’s parents filed for a judicial review to compel the police to complete investigations into his 2009 death.
Last month, the High Court set Oct 29 to deliver its ruling on a judicial review brought by Beng Hock’s family against the police.
