The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today questioned why a woman who shared a house with political aide Teoh Beng Hock was not called to testify in the inquest into his death.

Counsel Abdul Razak Musa, who is holding a watching brief for MACC, claimed that the woman, Esther Lew Swee Yoong, could have close ties with Teoh and her testimony could assist the court in determining Teoh's mental condition.

Abdul Razak brought up the matter after coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas ruled that there was no need to call Lew, who was supposed to testify today, on grounds that her testimony would not be relevant to the case.

azlan Teoh, 30, political aide to Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on July 16 on the fifth floor corridor of Plaza Masalam after he was questioned as a witness by officers of the MACC, located on the 14th of the building in Shah Alam, in the investigation into alleged abuse of Selangor government allocations.

Abdul Razak said his concern was on the factor that Teoh could be in distress prior to his death because of his affair with Lew.

"Why should Teoh stay with the woman (Lew) when he had a brother, who is a bachelor, also staying in Shah Alam where Teoh was working," he added.

At this juncture, lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, who is holding a watching brief for Teoh's family, stood and told the court that Abdul Razak's statement was not fair to Lew and wanted him to retract the allegation that Teoh could have had an affair with another woman.

Azmil Muntapha then clarified why he did not see the need for Lew to be called to testify.

"She is only a friend of Teoh while they were studying at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and she had rented a room in her house to Teoh," he said.

Testimony from psychiatrist

He said the court would hear the testimony from a psychiatrist who had talked to Teoh's family members and several MACC officers, for opinion on Teoh's state of mind.

On Oct 2, the coroner had granted permission for a psychiatrist from Hospital Permai Johor, Dr Bada'iah Yahya, and a psychiatric consultant from the Health Ministry, Dr Nor Hayati Ali, to interview Teoh's family members and MACC officers to determine Teoh's mental state.

At today's hearing, MACC assistant superintendent Arman Alias, who was tasked to check four files on Ean's claims, told the court that no force, pressure and violence was used against Teoh during the interview at the MACC's office at 10.30pm on July 15.

"I only asked him to show whether four documents on price quotations printed from his laptop was in the files pertaining to Ean's claims, but he did not find the documents in the files," he added.

Arman also said that Teoh cooperated with MACC officers throughout the interview and did not make any complaint or asked to return home early.

Hearing continues next Wednesday.

- Bernama