The royal commission of inquiry into the death Teoh Beng Hock today shed some light on his connection with his varsity friend and former housemate Esther Lew Swee Yoong.

Testifying for the first time in the inquiry into Teoh's fatal fall in 2009, Lew, 32, denied having had any "romantic relationship" with Teoh, stressing that their relationship was platonic.

NONE The nature of their relationship had been raised during the earlier coroner's inquest proceedings, but coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas dismissed an application for her to testify, saying it was "irrelevant".

Lew told the RCI this morning that Teoh, who was her junior in university, was a "good friend" and that she was not aware of his relationship with Soh Cher Wei.

"I think Teoh must have had something with Soh, but I was not sure," said Lew, adding that Teoh would often go to Kajang, where Soh's house was located, and that she assumed that they were seeing each other.

Teoh lodged with Lew and her sister in Puchong from 2000, from the time he was a student in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

'We ask without bad faith'

Royal panel head Justice James Foong ( below ) asked Lew, "Staying together means a lot of things. Who was staying at the house? We ask without bad faith."

NONE Lew, who is with the Housing and Local Government Ministry, said she first rented a house with Teoh, Soh and a friend of Soh, and seven months later moved in with her sister at her house in Puchong.

According to the witness, Teoh moved in with them in Puchong sometime in mid-2000.

Foong: Young people nowadays... was Teoh's relationship with Soh (at the time) more than just as friends?

Lew:

I'm not sure.

According to the witness, Teoh only moved in with them in Puchong sometime in mid-2008, as he wanted to stay closer to where he worked.

She also told the panel that on July 15, 2009, via a text message to her mobile phone, Teoh informed her that he was engaged and that he would be getting married in October 2009.

Responding to question from Bar Council lawyer Cheow Wee, Lew said she was "surprised he (Teoh) was getting married" because she did not know that Teoh and Soh were "officially" a couple or that they were "going steady".

Foong: Were you jealous?

Lew: Of course not. Why are you asking this kind of things?

NONE Cheow Wee: Have you had any relationship with Teoh Beng Hock in the past at all?

Lew: No.

Teoh, who was the political secretary to Seri Kembangan assemblyperson Ean Yong Hian Wah, was engaged to Soh, a teacher, at the time of his death.

Teoh was taken to the Selangor MACC office at the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 15, 2009, for questioning on irregular disbursement of state funds.

He was found dead on the fifth floor service corridor of the building the following day.

During the inquest, then Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) lawyer Abdul Razak Musa had insinuated that the deceased was more than just sharing the same roof with Lew.

Lew told the royal panel that although they lived in the same house with her two sisters, she hardly saw Teoh and often only saw him once a week.

She added that she considered Teoh as an “honest and frank” person, and had never seen him lose his temper.

Cheow asked if Lew had visited Teoh in Puchong, but she replied in the negative owing to lack of her own mode of transportation.

lingam tape commission enquiry 120208 shafee abdullah 2 “I called him to wish him ‘congratulations’, but he said he was busy and he said he would talk to me later ,” said Lew.

MACC lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah ( left ) then proceeded to ask Lew if she knew that Soh was pregnant.

Lew: Yes, through the newspapers

Muhammad Shafee: Were you surprised?

Lew: Maybe not the word was not surprised. (sic)

Muhammad Shafee: Considering Teoh Beng Hock was a very organised person, are you surprised that he got his girlfriend pregnant before (going through) the formalities (of marriage)?

Taking the hint, Lew asked the commission why such a line of questioning was necessary.

“I think we must respect the deceased, this is getting too personal,” she said.

Foong, however, explained that questions have been raised regarding Teoh’s mind set and apologised for putting Lew through such inconvenience to discover the truth behind his death.

After Lew finished her testimony, the royal inquiry cross-examined handwriting expert and document examiner Wong Kong Yong from the Chemistry Department.

The inquiry resumes tomorrow.