DAP Kota Alam Shah assemblyperson M Manoharan was questioned for over three hours by the police yesterday, as he was the last person on the phone with Teoh Beng Hock.

NONE Teoh, 30, the political secretary to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on the fifth floor rooftop of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16.

Overlooking this is the tower block which houses the Selangor headquarters of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on the 14th floor.

Teoh had been called in as a witness on July 15, in an investigation into alleged misappropriation of constituency funds by several state assemblypersons. He was questioned overnight for almost eight hours.

Manoharan, who is also a lawyer, is said to be the last person Teoh had contacted before his death.

m manoharan “They took my statement over the telephone conversation we had. I was following him when he was taken for investigation on July 15 ... but as he was escorted by the MACC officers, he arrived at their office first,” said Manoharan.

"He (Teoh) called me around 6pm and asked my whereabouts and I told him that I was at the lobby and would meet him soon."

However, when Manoharan went up to the 14th floor, Teoh was already talking to MACC officers in a room.

"Initially I asked the MACC officer (who had escorted Teoh) whether I could be with Teoh during the questioning, in my capacity as a lawyer, and it was granted. But when I got there, they refused to allow me in," he said.

Prior to that, Manoharan said that he had given Teoh some legal advice and informed him about his rights.

"He was OK... in fact he was considerably cheerful and normal at that time," said Manoharan, who left after waiting almost an hour for the questioning to end.

‘Statement given under protest’

Manoharan further said he had given his statement to the police "under protest".

"I asked them under what section (of the law they were investigating) the case, and they said it was based on the sudden-death report," he said.

ean yong hian wah interview 110408 interview “This is not the right way to investigate Teoh's death. It should be investigated as a murder under Section 302 Penal Code.”

Ean Yong (left) , who is Seri Kembangan assemblyperson, is expected to be called in for questioning today. The MACC had raided his office on July 15, when they confiscated a desktop computer as well as a laptop belonging to Teoh.

Kampung Tunku state assemblyperson Lau Weng San, Teresa Kok (Kinrara), Hannah Yeoh (Subang), Elizabeth Wong (Bukit Lanjan), Dr Cheah Wing Yin (Damansara Utama) and Edward Lee (Bukit Gasing) are also being investigated.