Media statement by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, 11^th August 2010: 

Was Teoh Beng Hock "forced to commit suicide" when he plunged to his death from 14^th floor of MACC headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16 last year?

The Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail should be censured for the travesty of justice in exposing details of "new evidence" not yet tendered in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest.

This is in addition to the gross irregularity and impropriety of the Attorney-General in suppressing the "new evidence", which should have been introduced at the beginning of the inquest as it would affect the whole course and direction of the inquest through cross-examination of witnesses.

Because of deliberate "leaks" in the media, the country is awash with talk that there is a "suicide note" left by Teoh Beng Hock, which has been countered and challenged by Teoh's family counsel Gobind Singh Deo.

Even if the veracity of the "suicide note" is eventually not established, great damage has been done, not only in getting to the truth as to how a young, healthy idealistic political worker looking forward to his marriage preparations the next day, could be forced to end up plunging to his death from the 14^th floor of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, but in further undermining national and international confidence in the independence, professionalism and integrity of key national institutions with far-reaching economic and nation-building implications.

Putting aside the questions of the veracity of the note and whether it is a "suicide note", does the "new evidence" show that Teoh Beng Hock had been placed under great stress and pressures, whether mental and/or physical, by the MACC interrogators and if so, was this aspect fully pursued by the Attorney-General through the Public Prosecutor in the inquest?

I was asked by a member of the public about the possibility that Teoh Beng Hock was "forced to commit suicide" when he plunged to his death from the 14^th floor of the MACC headquarters on July 16 last year and whether it wouldn't be a crime to force a person to commit sucide.

This is a question that must be fully and thoroughly investigated by the inquest.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor