Teoh Inquest: DNA sample identified

By WANI MUTHIAH and NURBAITI HAMDAN

SHAH ALAM: The inquest into the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock was told Thursday that one of the unknown male DNA samples found on the deceased’s belt and jacket has been identified.

Tan Hock Chuan, who is the counsel appointed by the Government to assist Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas, said DNA expert Dr Seah Lay Hong would be revealing the identity of the person.

Dr Seah, who is attached to the Chemistry Department, is scheduled to testify Friday regarding the identity of the individual known as “Male 1.”

Teoh, 30, the political secretary to Selangor executive councilor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was summoned to the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam here on July 15 to be queried over the alleged disbursement of state funds.

He was found dead at the building’s fifth floor service corridor the following day.

During the inquest Thursday, Teoh’s brother Teoh Meng Kee and close friend Woo Chuan Sing took the stand.

Meng Kee testified his brother did not have any health or financial problems.

Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, holding a watching brief for Teoh’s family, asked Meng Kee, “Do you know if there are any reasons whatsoever that your brother Teoh Beng Hock would want to commit suicide?”

“No,” said Meng Kee.

He also agreed with counsel Datuk Abd Razak Musa, who is holding a watching brief for the MACC, that Teoh had hastened his marriage because his girlfriend Soh Cher Wei was pregnant.

Abd Razak also told Meng Kee that Teoh earned a monthly salary of RM1, 800.

“Do you agree that Chinese weddings cost a lot of money?” said Abd Razak.


“It depends,” said Meng Kee.

“How much is the rough cost?” said Abd Razak.

“It can be less than RM20,000 sometimes,” Meng Kee said.

Abd Razak then suggested that Teoh was forced to expedite the wedding due to Soh’s pregnancy and did not have much savings to pay for the event.

“He had savings and we, as his siblings, would have helped him,” Meng Kee said.

Woo testified that Teoh had SMSed and asked him to be his best man on the day he was summoned by the MACC.

During the inquest Thursday, there was also a heated exchange of words between Gobind and Tan over the summoning of witnesses.

Counsel holding a watching brief for the Selangor state government Malik Imtiaz Sarwar said his party would be calling Selangor MACC deputy director Hishamuddin Hashim and head of investigation unit Hairul Ilham Hamzah.

Malik Imtiaz added that renowned Thai pathologist Dr Porntip Rojanasunan had also said that she would be available on Oct 20 and 21, or Oct 27 and 28.

Tan will also submit the questions prepared by two forensic psychiatrists scheduled to interview Teoh’s family to determine his state of mind prior to his death.

Azmil Muntapha will decide the relevance of the questions to the inquest and rule whether or not Teoh’s family need to attend the interview.

See below for what transpired in proceedings Thursday:

4.06pm: Bulkini Paharudin of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is released.

Court is adjourned to Friday morning.

4.05pm: Witness No 22, Bulkini Paharudin of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, takes the stand again. He is asked to identify Kajang municipal councillor Tan Boon Wah, who was taken in for questioning the same day as Teoh Beng Hock.

Bulkini identifies Tan.

4pm: Bulkini Paharudin of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission takes the stand again. He previously took the stand on Sept 17.

3.55pm: War of words erupts between Gobind Singh Deo, the counsel holding a watching brief for Teoh’s family, and Government-appointed counsel Tan Hock Chuan, over the priority of witnesses taking the stand.

3.46pm: Gobind Singh Deo, the counsel holding a watching brief for Teoh’s family, says he has two witnesses from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Hishamuddin and Hairul Ilham, to take the stand.

Both these names have been consistently mentioned by MACC witnesses throughout the inquest.

3.45pm: Lawyers and coroners hold a discussion to fix a date for Dr Seah Lay Hong to take the stand.

3.40pm: Government-appointed counsel Tan Hock Chuan tells Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas that the DNA sample of “Male 1” has been identified by ninth witness Dr Seah Lay Hong, a serology and DNA specialist.

Tan says Dr Seah is ready to take the stand with her evidence.

3.34pm: Teoh Beng Hock’s best friend Woo Chuan Sing is released from the stand.

3.31pm: Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas begins questioning Woo Chuan Sing, who says, “I am one of Beng Hock’s good friends.”

He says he does not know of any problems that Beng Hock may have faced.

3.26pm: Malik Imtiaz Mawar, acting for the Selangor Government, begins questioning Teoh Beng Hock’s best friend Woo Chuan Sing.

Woo confirms the record of a telephone call received on his handphone from Beng Hock.

3.25pm: Teoh Beng Hock’s best friend Woo Chuan Sing takes the stand as the 25th witness.

To questioning from government-appointed counsel Tan Hock Chuan, who is assisting Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas, Woo says Beng Hock SMSed him inviting him to be the best man at his wedding on Oct 3.

3.16pm: To a question by Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas, Teoh Meng Kee says his brother Beng Hock never received medical treatment nor had he any medical problems.

Meng Kee says he does not know why Beng Hock went into politics.

Meng Kee is released from the stand.

3.13pm: MACC lawyer Datuk Abd Razak Musa asks Beng Hock’s brother Teoh Meng Kee whether he knows how much it would cost to hold a Chinese wedding ceremony, complete with dinner, luxury car, etc.

Meng Kee says, “perhaps about RM20,000.”

Abd Razak suggests that Beng Hock did not have that kind of money to spend on a wedding on his monthly salary of RM1,800.

Meng Kee says that Beng Hock had savings, although he admits he does not know how much.

3.09pm: Teoh Meng Kee says he does not know what his brother Beng Hock’s monthly income was.

MACC lawyer Datuk Abd Razak Musa: Do you know that Beng Hock earned a gaji bersih (take-home pay) of RM1,800 a month?

Meng Kee: No, I don’t.

3.06pm: During cross-examination by MACC lawyer Datuk Abd Razak Musa, Teoh Beng Hock’s brother Meng Kee agrees with Abd Razak’s suggestion that Beng Hock was making marriage plans at a rather early age because his girlfriend Soh Cher Wei was pregnant.

3.04pm: Datuk Abd Razak Musa, acting for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), begins his cross-examination.

3pm: Teoh Meng Kee says he was notified of his brother Beng Hock’s death by his younger sister Li Lan at about 5pm on July 16. He said he went immediately to Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam.

2.55pm: Teoh Meng Kee says his brother Beng Hock has never mentioned problem to his family before his death.

2.51pm: Teoh Meng Kee tells of his brother Beng Hock’s plans to organise a wedding dinner on Oct 3. He describes Beng Hock as being “full of love and helpful.

2.42pm: Teoh Beng Hock’s brother, Teoh Meng Kee, a 33-year-old warehouse manager takes the stand.

He is the second of four siblings, while Beng Hock was the fourth. Meng Kee, wearing black pants and a light-blue t-shirt, appears calm as he answers questions.

2.40pm: Day 22 of the Teoh Beng Hock inquest begins with his brother Teoh Meng Kee being called to the stand.