Group to organise 100km ‘Walk for Justice’ for Teoh Beng Hock

The Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement (TBH-ADA) is organising a “Walk for Justice” next month over unresolved matters surrounding the political aide’s death.

The nearly 100km relay walk will start on July 13 at Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, which used to house the Selangor MACC office and was where Beng Hock was found dead 15 years ago on July 16, 2009.

Participants will make stops at the current Selangor MACC office building in Shah Alam, the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur, and the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) in Putrajaya, before finally arriving at the Prime Minister’s Office two days later on July 15.

TBH-ADA chairperson Ng Yap Hwa said the route was chosen to highlight failures of the democratic and criminal justice systems, which resulted in Beng Hock’s case remaining unresolved for so long.

“We want to pass these venues to organise some protest or submission of memorandum because we want to show that our institutions are dysfunctional. It’s not functioning at all in Beng Hock’s case.

“Since the very beginning, the police did not carry out the investigation independently and professionally. That’s why today we still don’t have an answer and justice,” he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Ng said the group will submit memorandums to the police, the AGC, and the prime minister.

They will present three demands to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim:

• Seeking the truth: Based on a Court of Appeal verdict, investigate the suspects of Beng Hock’s case independently and professionally, including all MACC officers involved in investigating Beng Hock.

• Upholding justice: Prosecute and convict those who violated the law and Beng Hock’s human rights, including section 302 or section 304 of the Penal Code.

• Institutional reforms: Immediately amend laws to prevent the MACC and other law enforcement agencies from abusing their power and leading to deaths in custody - including amending Section 30 of the MACC Act 2008 to limit interrogation time - and enacting an anti-torture law.

Ng also said the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH)’s youth wing as well as NGO Eliminating Deaths and Abuse in Custody Together (Edict) will hold a vigil for victims of custodial deaths on July 16 at 6pm.

The vigil will be held near the Bar Council office in Kuala Lumpur and will be followed by an 8pm memorial service for Beng Hock at KLSCAH.

‘Persisted to this day’

Beng Hock’s younger sister, Teoh Lee Lan, was also present at the press conference to urge members of the public to join the events.

“We hope that you still remember Beng Hock, and know that we have persisted to this day hoping that justice will prevail.

“I hope everyone can spend some time to attend our walk for justice and memorial service, and let the government hear our voice,” she said.

In July 2009, Beng Hock, who was the political secretary to then Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was summoned as a witness to have his statement recorded at the Selangor MACC headquarters.

He was subsequently found dead on July 16, 2009, on the fifth-floor service corridor of Plaza Masalam after being questioned overnight on the 14th floor.

In 2011, a Royal Commission of Inquiry determined that Beng Hock was driven to commit suicide following aggressive questioning by the MACC.

In 2014, the Court of Appeal unanimously ruled that Beng Hock’s death was caused by the act of “a person or persons unknown”, including the MACC officers who questioned him overnight before he was found dead.

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