KUALA LUMPUR: Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah yesterday denied the possibility of his political aide, Teoh Beng Hock, committing suicide to protect him and DAP.
He also disagreed with lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammed Shafee Abdullah, who represented the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission (MACC), that Teoh acted such because he felt pressured with the knowledge that Yong was involved in the abuse of Selangor state funds.
Yong told this to the Commission of Inquiry in Teoh’s death when Muhammed Shafee claimed that Teoh took his own life to protect his employer and DAP.
Teoh, 30, was found dead on the fifth floor corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009, after being questioned overnight at the Selangor MACC office on the 14th floor.
Meanwhile, Yong said he picked a Class F contractor which was introduced by Hong Chye Enterprise to carry out repair works of drains, roads and buildings.
“I was not surprised to find out that the Hong Chye company was using the licence of the Class F contractor to do the work because the Class F contractor was only the licence holder,” he added.
He also said that the “Support, Sympathy and Solidarity” function organised for Selangor executive councillor Teresa Kok was part of the People Friendly project.
Yong, who claimed to have known Teoh since 2006, described his political aide as hardworking, dedicated and responsible in discharging his duties.
Asked by conducting officer, Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud, whether Yong trusted Teoh, Yong said, he did because Teoh was his right hand man. “If I cannot attend a media conference for some reasons, I will ask Teoh to represent me,” he added.
Yong also told the commission that he knew Teoh was going to marry Soh Cher Wei, but did not know about Teoh wanting to quit his job and move to Melaka.
The commission, chaired by Federal Court judge Tan Sri James Foong Cheng Yuen, was set up on Jan 25 this year following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s order after the Coroner’s Court returned an open verdict on the case.
The members of the commission are Federal Court judge Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman, former Court of Appeal judge Datuk T S Nathan, Penang Hospital’s forensic pathologist Datuk Dr Bhupinder Singh and the Dean of Cyberjaya Medical Science College University Professor Dr Mohamed Hatta Shaharom.
The proceeding continues on Monday. — Bernama