Beng Hock group shoots past fundraising target after public appeal

Summary

• TBH-ADA exceeds its RM50,000 crowdfunding target, raising RM122,377 to support a UN complaint on Beng Hock’s death.

• Funds will be used to send Lee Lan to file the complaint and for public forums and memorial events related to the case.

The Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement (TBH-ADA) has concluded its month-long campaign to raise funds for filing a complaint to the United Nations.

This follows a surge of contributions after it made a public appeal yesterday for more support, which helped it raise more than double its RM50,000 target.

“We thank the public for their strong support of this crowdfunding initiative and announce that the campaign is now closed.

“The remaining funds will be used for public forums and the annual memorial events,” it said in a statement today.

The crowdfunding campaign is aimed at raising money for Beng Hock’s sister, Lee Lan, to go to the UN and file a complaint with the Special Rapporteurs on Human Rights.

After launching the campaign on June 22, however, it only managed to raise RM39,075 (after deducting expenses) as of July 30. This is RM10,925 short of their target.

This prompted the TBH-ADA to appeal yesterday for continued public support for their cause.

More than double

In its statement today, the group said it received RM83,302 in the 24 hours since the appeal. This is more than double what it managed to raise over the past month since the campaign started.

“This means that the association has now raised a total of RM122,377 to send Lee Lan to file a complaint regarding the Beng Hock case with the United Nations Special Rapporteurs on Human Rights,” said the TBH-ADA.

The final amount is 2.4 times (RM72,377) over the original target of RM50,000.

Beng Hock, who was the political aide to then-Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead in 2009 after overnight questioning at Selangor MACC, which was then headquartered at Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam.

A 2011 royal commission of inquiry ruled that he was driven to suicide due to aggressive interrogation.

However, in 2014, the Court of Appeal ruled his death was caused or accelerated by unlawful acts, including those of MACC officers.

On Nov 21 last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordered the police to complete the investigation into Beng Hock’s death within six months.

Last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pledged to the family that the case would be investigated thoroughly.

However, in May, the Attorney-General’s Chambers classified the case as no further action.

Beng Hock’s family has persisted in urging authorities to reopen the case as a murder investigation and appoint international experts to join the investigation.

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