Teoh Beng Hock group to organise 3-day ‘walk of justice’ to PM’s office

Members of the Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement at today’s press conference to announce the ‘walk of justice’.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement says it will hold a three-day “walk of justice” from Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam to the Prime Minister’s Office to demand justice from the unity government.

Chairman Ng Yap Hwa said the 96km walk from July 13 to 15 would stop at the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters, Bukit Aman and the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).

He said the association would be handing over a memorandum to representatives of all three government agencies with a list of their demands, which includes amending Section 30 of the MACC Act to limit interrogation time as well as enacting an anti-torture law.

“Beng Hock was a victim of torture. We want to show that the (justice system) is dysfunctional. The police didn’t carry out the investigation independently or professionally,” Ng said at a press conference today.

The group also demanded that authorities investigate and prosecute the case accordingly, as it was supposed to have been reopened in 2018.

In June 2018, the Cabinet granted approval for investigations into Beng Hock’s death to be reopened. However, four months later, police said they had not received any instructions from the AGC to do so.

“Since the case was reopened, the police and AGC have been kicking the ball back and forth,” Ng said.

Aside from the “walk of justice”, the group will be organising a public memorial service for victims of death in custody at the Masjid Jamek pedestrian bridge on July 16 at 6pm, which is also the 15th anniversary of Beng Hock’s death.

The former political aide’s memorial service will be held on the same day at 8pm at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

“A lot of people asked me how they could help. This is it: by showing up at the ‘walk of justice’ and the memorial services,” Beng Hock’s sister Lee Lan said.

On May 5, the group launched a campaign called the “Search for Missing Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim” in Kuala Kubu Bharu following multiple failed attempts by Beng Hock’s family to meet Anwar in the 17 months since he took office.

Last December, the association also submitted a protest letter to the Prime Minister’s Office expressing dissatisfaction that no one had been held responsible for Beng Hock’s death.

In 2009, Beng Hock, the ex-aide to then Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, hours after he had arrived for questioning on the 14th floor of the MACC Selangor headquarters.

A coroner’s inquest in 2011 delivered an open verdict. His family subsequently filed an appeal against the findings. Three years later, the Court of Appeal set aside the open verdict and ruled that Beng Hock’s death was caused by multiple injuries as a result of unlawful acts by unknown persons.