KUALA LUMPUR: DAP has voiced its support for the family of the late Teoh Beng Hock in seeking a judicial review against the Attorney General’s decision to classify the case as “no further action” (NFA).
In a joint statement posted on the party’s Facebook page on Sunday (June 8), DAP national chairman Gobind Singh Deo and secretary-general Anthony Loke said Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar must explain in detail why he believes there is insufficient evidence to prosecute anyone over Teoh’s death.
“We have been informed that action is being considered to challenge the decision of the NFA in court by way of judicial review by the family of Teoh Beng Hock.
“We support this action and also call upon the Attorney General to review his decision and push ahead with charges against those responsible for Teoh Beng Hock's death without further delay,” it said.
According to the statement, the Attorney General had classified the case as NFA on May 21, following the submission of investigation papers by the police, and later wrote to the family’s lawyers on May 30 explaining the decision.
The party also noted that the Court of Appeal had earlier found Teoh’s death to be the result of “an unlawful act or acts of persons unknown, inclusive of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers who were involved in the arrest and investigation of the deceased.”
In a related civil suit, the government and MACC had admitted liability for negligence leading to Teoh’s death, and a compensation of RM600,000 with costs of RM60,000 was awarded to the family.
DAP stressed that while the responsibility to investigate lies with the police, it is the Attorney General alone who holds the constitutional discretion to prosecute.
“He must explain why he is unable to do so in this case particularly in light of the decisions of the Court of Appeal and civil proceedings in the High Court,” it added.
Teoh, the political secretary to former Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead at the age of 30 after giving a statement at the MACC office on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, Selangor on July 16, 2009.
