The note speculated by some to be DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock's final testament before his death was revisited by the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) today.

Investigating officer ASP Ahmad Nazri Zainal said that he believed that the note was penned by the deceased but he did not probe whether it was written with the same pen found in one of Teoh's blazer pockets.

NONE A copy of the note written in Chinese translated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), was submitted as an exhibit to the panel today.

Lawyer acting for the MACC, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah asked Ahmad Nazri if he was satisfied that it was really Teoh ( right ) who had written the note.

He also asked the investigator whether he could tell from the note if Teoh had complained that he was badly beaten up or assaulted.

At this juncture, he was interrupted by commissioner T Selventhiranathan, who told him that it was not for the investigating officer to suggest such conclusions.

Danger of verbal whirlpool

Inquiry chief James Foong, who seemed to concur with Selventhiranathan pitched in, saying he did not interrupt as otherwise the proceedings would have turned into a "verbal whirlpool".

teoh beng hock note 200910 01 The copy of the note appears to be different from that produced at the inquest that investigated Teoh's death a year later in 2009.

The Coroner's Court ruled out suicide and homicide, and returned an open verdict last month, which led to the formation of the RCI to get to the bottom of the matter.

The previous copy which was analysed during the inquest was translated by court interpreter Ting Chin Kin who was harshly criticised for using Google Translate to do the job.

Excerpts of the note translated by the MACC:

"Ean Yong,

"Mereka telah mengambil kesemua computer dan computer tersebut tidak ada back up. Benda tersebut menuding jari kepada kamu. Saya tidak tahu berpura-pura, saya telah menyusahkan kamu.

"Saya kata 'mendapat kelulusan YB'. Mereka berdegil menaip menjadi ‘mengikut arahan YB'. Minta maaf. Saya amat penat. Selamat tinggal."

( "Ean Yong,

"They have taken all the computers and the computer does not have a back up. The matter is pointing fingers at you. I do not know how to pretend, I have inconvenienced you.

"I said ‘obtained the YB's approval' but they insist on typing ‘on the YB's instructions'. I'm sorry. I'm very tired. Goodbye."

)

teoh beng hock inquest 070809 investigating officer ahmad nazri.jpg Earlier, Ahmad Nazri ( left ) said that he was reminded of the note, more than a year after Teoh's death, when he was ordered at the inquest to engage a psychiatrist to evaluate Teoh's family members.

He said he had contacted Permai Hospital consultant forensic psychiatry Dr Badi'ah Yahya who asked if there were any letters or notes among Teoh's belongings.

"On Oct 7, 2009, while I was checking the exhibits in the office, Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Abazafree informed me that I was about to testify at the inquest.

"I contacted Badiah on things which should be considered from the psychological point of view. She told me that normally in a suicide case, there would be a letter or a note. She asked me to check if Teoh had left any notes.

"I told her I didn't find any but as I was arranging the exhibits I came across the sheets of paper and a note among Teoh's belongings and immediately called an officer to translate it," said Ahmad Nazri.

Water bottle and teddy bear

Earlier, the investigator's testimony had drawn laughter from the commissioners and observers in the courtroom when he said that forensics pathologists had reconstructed Teoh's fall using a "mineral water bottle and a teddy bear".

NONE He said that Klang Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital's Dr Khirul Azman Ibrahim and University Malaya Medical Centre's Dr Prashant Samberkar were trying to deduce how Teoh fell, whether he was crouched at the window pane or thrown out.

Bar Council lawyer Cheow Wee also asked Ahmad Nazri about the pen in Teoh's blazer pocket.

The pen was apparently given to Teoh, who waiting at Plaza Masalam's lobby before being escorted to the 14th floor office of the MACC on July 15, 2009.

Pointing at a photograph of Teoh's sprawled body on the fifth floor corridor, Cheow asked Ahmad Nazri if he wondered why was the pen still in the pocket.

According to Cheow, the pen was just put inside without being clipped to the pocket.

However, Ahmad Nazri was not intrigued that the pen did not fall and later said that he sent it together with Teoh's clothing long with other belongings to the Chemistry Department.

Foong adjourned the inquiry to Monday.