MALAYSIA: The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) of Malaysia has come under renewed pressure to explain its decision to classify the latest investigation into former political assistant Teoh Beng Hock’s death as requiring no further action (NFA).
The move has reignited frustration and concern among the late political aide’s family and their legal counsel.
Ramkarpal Singh, lawyer for the Teoh family, urged the AGC to clarify whether it had concluded that no evidence of wrongdoing was found despite more than 16 years of probes — and in spite of a 2014 Court of Appeal ruling that identified officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as potential suspects.
“Is the AGC now stating that there is absolutely no evidence of such unlawful acts from the investigations conducted over the past 16 years? Were the Court of Appeal’s findings wrong?” he said during a press conference in Petaling Jaya.
Ramkarpal also criticised the method by which the decision was conveyed to the family, calling it “very unusual”.
“It is very unusual that the AGC’s decision to classify the case as NFA was conveyed by a third party and not the AGC itself,” he told Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
“Why did the attorney-general himself not issue an official letter, either to the family’s lawyer or to the family themselves, confirming his decision?”
Teoh Beng Hock was found dead on 16 July 2009, having fallen from the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam after being held for questioning for several hours by MACC officers.
At the time, Teoh served as political secretary to then-Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, a Selangor executive councillor overseeing local government and new village development.
An inquest into his death returned an open verdict. However, in 2014, the Court of Appeal concluded that Teoh’s death had resulted from the actions of “one or more unknown persons,” including MACC officials.
Family Disappointed by Lack of Progress
Speaking alongside Ramkarpal at the press conference, Teoh’s sister, Teoh Lee Lan, voiced the family’s dismay over the police’s decision to again categorise the case as NFA.
“On 1 August 2024, Anwar asked us to trust the ‘new police force’ and the ‘new system’ under his leadership. But what has this system given us? Only more disappointment,” she said.
Lee Lan also highlighted concerns about the continued reliance on Section 342 of the Penal Code — concerning wrongful confinement — in the investigation, despite the court’s 2014 findings.
“Authorities have repeatedly misapplied Section 342 to investigate Beng Hock’s death,” she stated.
She further alleged that some MACC officers involved in the interrogation had not cooperated with police investigations, and that no arrests had been made.
“Were the visions of reform that Beng Hock once dreamed of, and the promises of justice the Teoh family believed in, merely pawns in the game of seizing power?” she asked.
“If Malaysia Madani means perpetuating a system of darkness and oppression, what is the point of political change?”
Call for Anwar to Honour Reform Pledges
Lee Lan called on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim — who also chairs the Pakatan Harapan coalition — to honour the promises made during the 2018 general election campaign and ensure that justice is delivered.
“Beng Hock’s elderly parents, Teoh Leong Hwee and Teng Shuw Hoi, cannot endure endless delays. It is time to fulfil the pledge of a New Malaysia and ensure that justice prevails,” she urged.
Following Pakatan Harapan’s victory in 2018, the Cabinet agreed to reopen the case, with Anwar pledging that the investigation would conclude within two years.
Previously, two special investigation teams formed in 2011 and 2015 had also classified the case as NFA.
In 2023, the High Court directed the police to complete their long-delayed investigation.
In July 2024, the civil society group Advocate for Justice for Beng Hock organized a three-day “March for Justice” to seek justice and accountability for Beng Hock’s death.
Their attempt to submit a memorandum to Members of Parliament was met with a heavy police blockade outside the Parliament building entrance. A physical altercation followed, leading Teoh’s sister, Lee Lan to fall, sparking outrage among protesters.
With the case now once again marked as NFA, the Teoh family says they are still seeking answers.
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