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Contributed by Richard Wee & Yip Xiaoheng

The Bar Council’s team of solicitors at the Royal Commission of Inquiry (“RCI”) investigating Teoh Beng Hock’s death (“RCI-TBH”) will provide regular updates on the proceedings.  For ease of reference, all reports will bear the heading “RCI-TBH”.

9 May 2011 – On Day 49 of the RCI, Teoh Beng Hock’s four family members were called to give evidence.  They were his fiancée, Soh Cher Wei, his father, Teoh Leong Hwee, his brother, Teoh Meng Kee and his sister, Teoh Lee Lan.  Their evidence was studied by forensic psychiatrists to help the Commissioners better understand Teoh Beng Hock’s state of mind a few days before his demise.

Essentially, the family members described Teoh Beng Hock as a family-loving man who had been concerned of the family’s well-being and helpful to those around him.  He had loved children and would spend time taking his nephews and nieces out whenever he had gone back to Alor Gajah.  According to his fiancée, Soh Cher Wei, Teoh Beng Hock had loved eating and hence, had loved cooking.  Teoh Beng Hock had proposed to Soh Cher Wei in January 2009, but it had not been until the discovery of her pregnancy that they had started planning for their wedding dinner, which had been scheduled for October 2009.

Furthermore, Teoh Beng Hock was described as one who had cared for his family a lot and would return home every weekend whenever possible. Teoh Beng Hock had not normally discussed or complained about his work to his family.  He was also said to have been a very patient man who hardly lost his temper.

Teoh Beng Hock had started his career as a part-time teacher before becoming a reporter with Sin Chew Jit Poh.  He had later gone on to become a political secretary to YB Ean Yong Hian Wah.

Teoh Beng Hock’s brother, Teoh Meng Kee, and his father, Teoh Leong Hwee, told the RCI that both their families had been elated with the news of Teoh Beng Hock’s impending marriage and the expected child.  Teoh Beng Hock was also described to be his normal self by family members who had seen him just before his untimely death.

In the afternoon session, Azian bt Umar, witness, was recalled by Bar Council for some clarification regarding her testimony given on 24 Feb 2011.  She confirmed that she had first been informed of Teoh Beng Hock’s death by another colleague, Zaini, and later on by Anuar Ismail.

In a startling revelation after questioning by Cheow Wee, counsel for Bar Council, Azian bt Umar told the RCI that there had been two meetings held on the evening of 16 July 2009, and just before the RCI, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (“MACC”) officers had been instructed by Hishamuddin Hashim to distance him from the whole operation and to say that Hairul Ilham had spearheaded the operation.

Azian bt Umar was later grilled on the contents of her text message, sent to Hairul Ilham on 17 July 2009, where she had advised him not to instruct MACC officers to lie as one would need more lies to cover up a single lie.  She, however, denied that there had been other instructions aside from the one she mentioned.

Azian bt Umar could not give a satisfactory answer as to why she had not contacted Hishamuddin Hashim directly instead of Hairul Ilham.  However, she agreed with Muhammad Shafee Md Abdullah, counsel for MACC, that the only instruction had been to distance Hishamuddin Hashim from the whole operation and there had been no instruction not to tell the truth.

Another startling revelation unfolded as Cheow Wee further questioned Azian bt Umar.  When asked if there had been a reply from Hairul Ilham to her text message, Azian bt Umar claimed that she could not remember.  When posed with the question of how she could remember the text message specifically, but not if there had been a reply, Azian bt Umar replied that her attention had been brought to the text message prior to the RCI by Dato Abdul Razak Musa, Senior Federal Counsel, who had formerly acted as counsel for MACC during the Shah Alam Inquest.  Furthermore, she agreed that she had been coached on what to say about the text message by Dato Abdul Razak Musa.

Tan Sri James Foong, Chairman of the RCI, then took Muhammad Shafee Md Abdullah, counsel for MACC, to task and enquired how this could happen, especially when the RCI had been set up to get to the truth.  Muhammad Shafee Md Abdullah replied that he had no knowledge of the “coaching” and assured the RCI that as far as he was concerned, there had been no “overtures” of MACC witnesses being coached whenever he was around.

Cheow Wee then pursued the issue of whether other officers might have been “coached” as well, to which Azian bt Umar claimed to have no knowledge of.

The RCI-TBH proceeding was adjourned at approximately 6:00 pm and will recommence at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, 10 May 2011, with the testimony of the psychiatrists appointed by Bar Council and MACC.

Counsel appearing for Bar Council at today’s proceedings were Christopher Leong, Sivaneindiren s/o Selvanandam, Robert Low, Cheow Wee and Edmund Bon.

Members of the public who have relevant information in relation to the RCI’s investigation into the death of Teoh Beng Hock are urged to contact Bar Council’s team of solicitors by email at bc.rci.tbh@gmail.com.