Press Statement from Teoh Beng Hock’s Family, 3rd August 2024, Kuala Lumpur
With regards to the meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his views on reopening investigation on the murder of Teoh Beng Hock and the recent comments by Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director, Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, this is the latest response by the Teoh Beng Hock’s family:
1) The judgment of the Judge Hamid Sultan in the court of appeal had made it clear that “In ordinary circumstances if the oppressors had been lay persons on the facts of the case the oppressors would have been charged by the police and/or Attorney General’s Chambers for murder or culpable homicide not amounting to murder to be read with s 34 of the Penal Code relating to common intention.” The telling evidence is the bruise Beng Hock suffered on his neck before falling off. For more than 10 years, the police have completely disregarded the ruling made by the judiciary, turning their back to the rule of law.
2) Therefore, our call to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for him to direct the police to reopen the investigation in accordance with the ruling made by the Judge Hamid Sultan is a just and legitimate demand. By directing the police to respect the ruling of the judiciary, the Prime Minister would be defending the constitutional order, not acting like a dictator. If the Prime Minister could not even give such instruction, and the police would only investigate the murder of Beng Hock as suicide instead of homicide as they previously did, then it shows that the Madani Government has either no regard for the rule of law or no control over the police, allowing those MACC officials to go scot-free after cruelly taking away Beng Hock’s youthful life!
3) The police should immediately reopen the investigation and urgently arrest and interrogate the implicated MACC officials. However, we are shocked by the statement by Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director, Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain that even the Teoh’s family are to be summoned for statements. Is this a repeated attempt by the police to treat the death of Teoh Beng Hock as a suicidal case based on some anonymous suicidal note allegedly written by Beng Hock? Is this to force Beng Hock’s aging parents and heartbroken widow to revisit a past they desperately wanted to move on with a closure? If the police is incapable or unwilling to investigate the MACC officials, we have actually suggested to the Prime Minister to set up an international investigation team that could investigate the case independently and professionally.
4) Cynically, the five MACC officials who were allegedly involved in the murder of Teoh Beng Hock have stayed on and been promoted within the MACC. When we demanded the Prime Minister to immediately suspend them while waiting for investigations, the Prime Minister declined to comment further. It is common sense in modern society for state officials to be temporarily suspended in order for the investigations to be conducted impartially, which is completely within the Prime Minister’s power.
5) Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has spearheaded the vision of Malaysia Madani, modelled on Prophet Muhammad’s just governance in Madinah, and encompassing the core values of sustainability, prosperity, innovation, respect, trust and compassion. Malaysians and the international society are all hoping that these core values would transform Malaysia, cleansing this beautiful country from chronic corruption and power abuse. The Beng Hock case would serve as a litmus test on whether the Madani Government will embark on transitional justice or continue the ‘business as usual’ attitude despite the loud slogan. Actions speak louder than words. We urge all Malaysians to stay vigilant and scrutinize the development of this cruel political murder.
Representative of Teoh Beng Hock’s family
Teoh Lee Lan