Cabinet to set up RCI on Teoh’s death

The Teohs have demanded a RCI into the young political aide’s death. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, January 6 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak is set to announce the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the death Teoh Beng Hock, in the coming days.

The Malaysian Insider understands that the prime minister and key Cabinet members met with Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail after the coroner in the death inquest of Teoh Beng returned an open verdict yesterday.

The decision meant the coroner could not conclusively say how Teoh died, after more than a year of courtroom dramas with testimonies from 37 witnesses — including 12 experts — in the inquest to determine how the 30-year-old had plunged to his death from the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009.

“Gani Patail was present during the meeting and the prime minister is expected to make this announcement by next week,” a source told The Malaysian Insider today.

Teoh’s family has demanded a RCI be set up to directly probe the circumstances surrounding his death to find out the real cause — including if he was pressured to jump.

Teoh had been the political secretary to Selangor state councillor, Ean Yong Hian Wah, at the time of death.

His body was found on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam after he had been questioned overnight by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at its then Selangor headquarters on the 14th floor of the same building.

The anti-graft officers were investigating a claim his boss was misusing state funds.

The police initially classified the case as sudden death; they did not rule out foul play.

A Cabinet minister triggered a public outcry when he suggested that Teoh may have committed suicide, a claim which was denounced by the latter’s family.

Teoh was to have registered his marriage with his then two-month pregnant fiancée, Soh Cher Wei, that same week.

Following the outcry, Najib met with the Teohs and Soh on July 28, 2009.

The PM assured the family “no stone will be left unturned in finding out the real cause of death and, if there is any foul play, action will definitely be taken”.

Najib said then that the Cabinet had agreed to set up a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to probe further if the inquest result is not satisfactory. - Malaysian Insider