The government has yet to receive an official appeal pertaining to the birth registration of deceased politic aide Teoh Beng Hock's unborn child, Minister in the PM's department Nazri Abdul Aziz said.

Nazri stated this in a written reply to Batu Gajah DAP parliamentarian Fong Poh Kuan in the committee stage debate of the 2010 Supply Bill.

Fong had asked if government would grant the wishes of Teoh's fiancee Soh Cher Wei to enable their unborn child to carry Teoh's surname.

However, the minister's reply is foreshadowed a potentially unfavourable outcome.

nazri abdul aziz He said: "It has to be noted that according to the Birth and Death Registration Act 1957, since the partner had passed away before the birth of the child, the name of the deceased cannot be automatically stated as the father in the birth certificate of the child."

Nazri ( left ) Section 13 of the Birth and Death Registration Act 1957.

Teoh, 30, was found dead on the fifth floor corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16 after being interviewed as a witness by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The commission is located on the 14th floor of the same building. Teoh was being questioned over allegations that certain Selangor state assemblypersons had misused constituency funds.

Teoh was the political aide of Selangor exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah.

The Act further states that the registrar cannot register information admitting Teoh as the father of the illegitimate child unless the request is made by the mother and "the person who claims to be the child father".

soh cher wei 02 It is also requires "the person who claims to be the child father" to be present with the mother to sign the documents.

Prime Minister Najib Razak had said that he would ask the Attorney-General and relevant government departments to find a solution to a request from Soh ( right ) to allow her unborn child to carry Teoh's surname.

Soh, 28, a school teacher from Semenyih, is two months' pregnant. Teoh was to have registered his marriage to Soh on July 17.

New touch screen PCs only a hindrance

Meanwhile, on another matter, Fong had asked Nazri for the cost of the new touch screen personal computers which has been installed in the House for all 222 parliament representatives.

Nazri said one touch screen computer cost RM11,916, inclusive of the cost of the cable, switch, furniture modification and configuration.

In total RM2,645,352 has been spent by the government to install the latest technology for the current session.

Commenting on this Klang DAP parlientarian Charles Santiago complained that the touch screen computer "hanged" all the time.

"There is no need for parliament to but new touch screen computers as most of the MPs already have their own laptops which stores all the information," said Santiago.

He added that new computers were a hindrance as space is now limited for the MPs to place their own laptops.