‘Housewarming’ Round 2 for Teoh

By Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — The family of Teoh Beng Hock will hold a special ceremony tomorrow at 9am to restore his tombstone over his grave.

The dead political aide, who is interred at the Nirvana Memorial Garden in Semenyih, was exhumed for a second autopsy and reburied a month ago.

Teoh's younger sister Lee Lan told The Malaysian Insider today that the ceremony was delayed to tomorrow on the advice of a fengshui expert.

“I don't know. You better ask the master,” 29-year-old Lee Lan said hesitantly when quizzed on the reason behind the delay.

The traditional ceremony is known in Chinese as “yuan fen” and is similar to the English custom to “warm” a new house, but for the dead.


Five types of beans were strewn over his grave and a yam plant planted to signify future prosperity for his offspring when the family held the ceremony to commemorate the 100th day of his passing on Nov 10.

Teoh, 30, was to have married his pregnant sweetheart on July 16, but was found dead the same day, outside the national anti-corruption commission's Selangor office in Shah Alam.

Foul play was suspected.

Famed Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, who was consulted by Teoh's employer, the Selamgor state government, opined that his death was likely the result of homicide.

An inquest commenced the same month. It will resume tomorrow at the coroner's court in Shah Alam.

The second autopsy report by Hospital Sungai Buloh's chief pathologist Dr Shahidan Md Noor is expected to be produced.

“We will go after the ceremony,” Lee Lan said, when asked if the family would attend the inquest.

But checks with lawyers acting for the family and the state failed to turn up anything.

“Not yet received any reports,” Sreekant Pillai, one of the lawyers for the state said in a text message to The Malaysian Insider.