Family members and supporters of Teoh Beng Hock, a former political aide, held a protest against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today to oppose the alleged apathy shown to one of the MACC officers implicated in his death.

The group of about 40 people, calling themselves the ‘Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy (TBHTD)’ gathered outside the Selangor MACC headquarters in Shah Alam at about 10.30am this morning.

The group was up in arms over the fact that one of Teoh’s interrogator while he was detained, then Selangor MACC director Hishamuddin Hashim, was promoted to Negri Sembilan MACC director and recently  transferred to become the Sabah MACC director.

The group demanded to meet Selangor MACC Director Simi Aba Ghani in person for an explanation on Hishamuddin’s promotion.

Holding placards that read, ‘MACC are murderers. Officers get promoted for causing Teoh Beng Hock’s death’, the group chanted for the director to come down and meet them.

However, they rejected an invitation to go up to the director's office.

Invitation to family home

"We want him to come down to meet us here. Why is he not daring enough?” asked Teoh's sister, Teoh Lee Lan.

There was also a brief commotion when two police officers emerged from the MACC building to inform the group that the director would no longer meet them. This prompted a unit of about eight Light Strike Force (LSF) personnel to move in and take positions outside the MACC office.

Lee Lan, in particular, was outraged by Simi’s refusal to meet the group.

“Why did he refuse to see us? Why did the director silence himself? Is he feeling guilty and therefore he is afraid to meet us?” she thundered, adding she would give MACC one week to respond.

She said Simi was welcome to visit the family’s home in Malacca but if a response was not forthcoming, she vowed to go to the Sabah MACC office to look for Hishamuddin.

Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching, who was present, challenged the Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail to appoint fellow DAP lawmaker Gobind Singh as a special prosecutor to charge Hishamuddin.

"If you are willing to appoint Muhammad Shafee Abdullah as the leading council to charge (opposition leader) Anwar Ibrahim, I want to pose this challenge to you. Appoint Gobind as the counsel to charge Hishamuddin," she said.

Appeals Court ruling

The protest lasted for about one-and-a-half hours before the group dispersed peacefully.

Beng Hock, aide to then Selangor exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead at outside the Selangor MACC’s then headquarters at Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam on July 16, 2009 after a night of interrogation by MACC officers.

Three MACC officers including Hishamuddin have been implicated in his death by a royal commission of inquiry in 2009 but no action has been taken as yet.

Apart from Hishammuddin, the other two implicated were the Investigation Officer Arman Alies and Assistant Investigation Officer Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus.

The Court of Appeal ruled in September last year that MACC was liable for Teoh’s death, and told the police to reopen investigations which the latter has done.