Teoh Beng Tock - Inquest: Fresh evidence from letter

On 19-8-2009 Latest Development - fresh evidence a letter

3.25pm: Gobind says matters raised in the letter clearly relate to material facts and circumstances relevant to the inquest.

He says he is making an application to the court for the letter to be investigated and has informed Teoh's family accordingly.

Tan Hock Chuan, for the Attorney-General's Chambers, said the prosecution has no objection for further investigation to be carried out. "All of us are interested to know the truth. These are allegations that must be investigated by police. Let the police investigate to verify the truth or otherwise of the allegations."

It is learnt that the coroner and all interested parties viewed the letter earlier in the afternoon.

3.20pm: Gobind said a letter was handed to him after yesterday's proceedings. He said the letter contained explicit details which are of significance to the inquest.

3.15pm: Gobind Singh Deo says Teoh's family is in the court. He said there is a new development to the case.

Chronology of the Inquest of Teoh Beng Hock - Updates

Re: Development of Coroner Inquest of Teoh Beng Hock

Teoh Beng Hock aged 30, political secretary to Selangor Exco Ean Yong Hian Wah was found dead on July 16, 2009 on Level 5 of Plaza Masalam after giving a statement as a witness into alleged abuse of state government allocation at the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission office.

How could the trouser of Teoh's buttock was badly torn and exposing his underwear? There is no sharp object near the place where he was found. The left shoe of Teoh was also not found at his left foot!!! Could the left shoe flew off from the foot in the air during the jump? It is very unlikely nor logically that the shoe could fly. It is more likely that the shoe was thrown out after Teoh had been thrown off.

Hypothesis on the cause of the fall of Teoh Beng Hock and Inquest Begins:-

Day 1 On 5-8-2009 Wednesday

1.12pm: Sixth and last witness for today's inquest is another security guard at Plaza Masalam Abd Rahman Rahim. He said his shift at Plaza Masalam lobby was from 4am to 8am on July 16, adding that he did not take down names of those who entered and left the building. When questioned by Coroner Azmil if the security personnel are required to note down names of visitors in a logbook, Abd Rahman said they have to but he did not do so. DPP Tan then said that according to the investigating officer (IO), the logbook had not been filled for months. Azmil asked the IO to produce the logbook in court Thursday and for Abd Rahman to take the stand again.

1pm: Fifth witness Wan Rosli Wan Adam, a security guard at Plaza Masalam admitted that the security company did not carry out its own investigation after Teoh's body was found at the premise. He added that he never questioned the MACC officers on witnesses brought into the building late at night. When Gobind suggested that questioning witnesses late at night until the wee hours of the morning is not a normal practice, Wan Rosli agreed, adding that it did happen sometimes. 11.10am: Inquest resumes. Third witness to take the stand is another security personnel at Plaza Masalam Mohd Khairul Izwan M. Nasir. As ordered by his superior, he said he covered the body with a black plastic sheet and placed bricks on the sheet to keep it in place.

Coroner & Inquest Team inspecting the site

Day 2 On 6-8-2009 Thursday 4.26pm: Inquest adjourns to Friday. Coroner to visit scene of crime. 4.18pm: Dr Seah Lay Hong of the Chemistry Department, said blood found on Teoh's body came from a single source. 3.35pm: Dr Seah said in her hypothesis, force was applied at the tear region of the belt in order for the tear to occur. Cross examined by Gobind Singh who suggested that the belt might have been held, Dr Seah said it was one of the many possibilities. Gobind: Do you also say that it's fair that this man was being held from a high building by the belt and it snapped? Is that a possibility? Dr Seah: It's speculative but it's one of the many possibilities. 3.20pm: Dr Seah said DNA profiles of 157 individuals were compared with 'Male 1' and the other unknown male contributor. She found 'Male 1' not among the 157 and neither is anyone of the 157 a contributing source of DNA derived from the swab taken from the belt.

Dr Seah said it was not possible to identify someone's race from the sample taken.

From left: Zaihara Awang,Saiful Fazamil Mohd Ali and Dr Seah Lay Hong of the Chemistry Department testified at the hearing.

3pm: Dr Seah opens package to show the coat worn by Teoh. Another package contained Teoh's pants with blood stains found mainly on the right side.

Dr Seah showed Teoh's belt to the court. She said DNA profile derived from a swab taken at a tear region of the belt consisted of a mix of male DNA types, indicating concordance with Teoh, Male 1 and at least one other unknown male.

She said further DNA testing for comparison and matching were carried out on 157 individuals. Dr Seah said DNA profile derived from swab taken from the back outer side of a blazer consisted of a mix of male DNA types of two individuals concordant with Teoh and one unknown male identified as 'Male 1' 12.35pm: Dr Seah Lay Hong of Chemist Dept introduces exhibits, including Teoh's nail clippings and hair.

Day 3 On 7-8-2009 Friday 9.55am: Tan Hock Chuan, representing the Attorney-General, arrives at the Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam and enters the MACC office. 9.50am: Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas arrives at the Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, heads towards 14th floor of the building where lawyers, court officials and police are waiting at the MACC office. 9.45am: Lawyers, court officials and police head towards the 14th floor where the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is located as part of their site visit.

Day 4 On 10-8-2009 Monday 10.04am: Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo is applying to the court to send chemist Dr Seah Lay Hong, who testified last week, and two forensic experts to go to Plaza Masalam this morning to conduct its evaluation as there were new findings - stains found the emergency staircase between floor 14 and 15 of the building. MACC is located on floor 14. The stains are believed to be blood. He said the evidence was crucial and should be tested without delay. He also pointed out that the place was only secured by the police on Saturday.

Day 5 on 11-8-2009 Tuesday Senior consultant pathologist Dr Khairul Azman, 51, said the political aide had 22 fractures, abrasions and bruises when the post-mortem was conducted on him on July 17. According to Dr Khairul Azman, of the Klang Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, none of these injuries indicated that Teoh had sustained them either in a struggle or by defending himself in an attack. He concluded that Teoh Beng Hock died of multiple injuries caused by a fall from a high place and the post-mortem showed no signs of defensive injuries or a struggle.

Question: Could Teoh be death for few minutes in the building from interrogation and then he was dumped off from 14^th floor MACC building?

Comments: The spot where his body was found sprawled on his right side shows only a small pool of blood stain. The blood oozed out from near his head only. As his right hand and right leg sustained serious fracture, the fall could be sideway rather than landing vertically on both legs. The theory of self-jumping off the ledge will land on both legs or flat on his face but unlikely sideway on his side unless the person is already unconscious and not flapping his hands.

Day 6 On 12-8-2009, Wednesday the coroner's court heard of video footage from closed-circuit television at Plaza Masalam showing Teoh entering the building through the fourth floor lobby at 6.09pm on July 15. The recording, however, did not show him leaving the building after that or the following morning, according to 11th witness police officer Insp Mohd Zulaimi Zubir from the Shah Alam police headquarters' crime department.

Day 7 On 13-8-2009 Thursday at 10.40am Insp Mazli says that based on scratch marks on the sole of Teoh's shoes, there is a possibility that he (Teoh) was dragged. He says there were no footsteps found on the 14th floor window sill. "I have checked. The place is dusty. If someone had set foot there, there must be shoe prints," says Insp Mazli.

Day 8 On 14-8-2009 Friday 10.19am Tan Hock Chuan: In your opinion, based on post-mortem report, injuries on the deceased, your site visits on July 16 and 22, toxicology reports and DNA reports, is it likely Teoh's death was caused by suicide? Dr Khairul: In my opinion it would likely be that the deceased jumped off. There are signs (of suicide). 10.05am: Dr Khairul says that, in his opinion, there was no conclusive evidence of homicide. He says there were no signs of struggle. 09.25am: Dr Khairul says that he saw no obvious signs that Teoh was dragged.

Comments: Klang Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) senior consultant pathologist Dr. Khairul was contradicting with (Day 2) DNA expert Dr Seah's statement about "Male 1" DNA and another unknown male contributor, and also contradicting with (Day 7) Inspector Mazli says that based on scratch marks on the sole of Teoh's shoes, there is a possibility that he (Teoh) was dragged. The reason could be he was merely examining the dead body of Teoh but make no reference to the sole of Teoh's shoes.

On 14-8-2009 4.20PM Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo said the theory by pathologist Dr Khairul Azman Ibrahim could not be accepted because it was not supported by evidence. Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo is a counsel holding a watching brief for Teoh's family in the inquest into his death.

Dr Khairul Azman and investigating officer ASP Ahmad Nazri Zainal (left) discussing outside the magistrate’s court in Shah Alam on 14-8-2009

On 15-8-2009 Gobind Singh Deo suggested that Dr Khairul Azman Ibrahim was not able to factually support his contention on the possible cause of Teoh’s death. Gobind, who stood after government-appointed counsel Tan Hock Chuan had completed questioning Dr Khairul Azman, asked the forensic pathologist if he had measured Teoh’s feet. When he said he did not as this was not needed in the case, Gobind asked: “So, you couldn’t tell if his shoes were too loose for him as you didn’t measure his feet.

In this particular case the shoe was found far away from the body. How far was it? (Teohs right shoe was off his feet when his remains were found.)

“I didn’t measure,” Dr Khairul Azman, who is a consultant pathologist with Klang Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, said.

Gobind: It’s good to measure isn’t it? You cannot tell us how the shoe got there. You are in no position to tell us!

Dr Khairul Azman: It could have come off when he fell. Gobind then said that logically, if the shoe was tight, this would not have happened.

Gobind then asked Dr Khairul Azman how he reckoned Teoh had come out of the window and the pathologist stepped out of the witness stand and demonstrated how he thought Teoh had jumped. (While doing so, he demonstrated how he thought Teoh would have stood on the bottom ledge and gripped its top ledge.) When Gobind asked Dr Khairul Azman if there would have been shoe prints or hand prints on the window frame if Teoh had jumped off in that manner, the pathologist agreed, adding that there was a possibility the footprints were not noticed.

Comments: Dr Kairul Azman’s evidence is inconclusive as the self-jumping from the 14^th floor may cause a person to land flat or sprawl on the ground and quite unlikely to land sideway. If the person is flapping in the air out of fear during the fall, the aerodynamic principle tells us that it is flat fall as seen from the sky diving. Does anyone see the sky divers fall sideway??? Now a jump from 2 to 3 storeys (about 11 metres) of the building may land sideway as the time would be too short to change position while falling under gravity. But a 14^th floor is about 150 metres high so there is time for the body to spread out during the fall unless the person was already dead or unconscious.

Day 9 On 17-8-2009 Dr. Khairul hypothesized that Teoh was alive when he fell and that the injuries on his face could be caused by beating before the fall. That Teoh could be trying to grab something when he fell. If so, then the theory of suicide is totally quashed because someone who committed suicide will never bother to grasp something to prevent himself from falling. >> 12:49pm: Malik Imtiaz put forward a hypothesis; that Teoh was surrounded by individuals - a form of scare tactic - before he fell. When he fell someone grabbed his hand and snapped his wristwatch as the watch is yet to be found. Malik: Is there a possibility that the scratches on Teoh's wrist could have been caused by someone who held the wrist with the watch? Khairul: Yes, there is a possibility. >> 12:25pm: Dr Khairul says there is a possibility that the injuries on Teoh's face could have been caused by beating. >> 11:47am: To a question by Malik, Dr Khairul says that Teoh was conscious when he fell, based on spasm signs in his left hand. This indicates he had tried to grab something when he fell. >> 11.33am Court resumes. Khairul takes stand again. Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, representing Selangor government is questioning him.

Day 10 On 18-8-2009 Tuesday The 10th day of the inquest begins with 13th witness Chief Inspector Mazli Jusoh, the investigating officer from the Forensics Dept at the Selangor police headquarters (IPK Selangor), being recalled to the stand. He is being questioned by Tan Hock Chuan, who is acting for the Attorney-General. UMMC forensic pathologist Dr Prashant Samberkar says the injuries sustained in Teoh Beng Hock’s anal region were a result of the impact at the time of landing. On Monday, Dr Khairul Azman Ibrahim, the Klang Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) senior consultant pathologist, said Teoh had injuries in his anus, adding it was possible that such injuries could have been caused when he was beaten with a blunt wooden object. 3:05PM Dr Prashant says in most suicide cases, it is the responsibility of the forensics team to find a reason for suicide by doing background checks and such. He says it was beyond his capacity to determine a reason in this case. He adds that it was as likely that Teoh squatted before jumping off as it was unlikely for him to stand at the windowsill by virtue of his height. 04:15PM: MACC senior acting superintendent Mohd Anwar Ismail says he and his team of four other MACC officers had seized a CPU and laptop belonging to Teoh on July 15.

Day 10. “The scratch ends here at almost a horizontal line is consistent with a person sitting or squatting on a 3millimetre window frame. This would not have occurred on impact at level five,” Prashant told the inquest. The coroner and lawyers immediately perked up at this piece of news. The previous pathologist, Dr Khairul had earlier demonstrated how Teoh had climbed out the window and stood on an ledge outside before leaping down to his death on the 5th-floor landing at Plaza Masalam here.

The windowsill at Plaza Masalam is enough for a person to sit on it inside but insufficient to stand on it outside to jump off to the position where he was found. Teoh’s body was not found directly below the window

But Prashant told the coroner that he did not share Dr Khairul’s view. “I would say he was squatting. The window frame is not tall enough for him to stand,” he explained, pointing that the limited length of the window would not have been able to fit Teoh who stood close to 5-foot nine-inches.

"There is no evidence of tongue injury"

- DR PRASHANT NARESH SAMBERKAR

“So he is not standing outside. He is not sitting here and his legs outside. Somebody is not making sense,” lawyer Gobind Singh Deo quipped, turning around to face the public gallery before waggling his eyebrows. Turning back to Prashant, Gobind asked if it was possible for Teoh to have been held briefly by several people while squatting at the window. “It is possible, sir,” the boyish pathologist replied.

The lawyer then quizzed Prashant on his earlier observation of smudged marks and some “vertical stripes” on the dusty glass pane of the 14th-floor window and suggested that those marks could come from Teoh as he was falling.

Gobind: You say finger drag marks. Wouldn’t that be a form of resistance as well? Prashant: Yes, sir. Gobind: So, it would show the person sitting there was trying to resist? Prashant: Possible, sir.

Further questioning from Gobind revealed that Dr Prashant had not taken part in the interview with Teoh’s family or fiancee to determine his state of mind and had only second-hand information that Teoh was due to register his marriage or be a father in under seven months. The Indian expert admitted it was crucial to know the psychological history of the deceased to decide if he had suicidal tendencies.

Comments: Dr Prashant's evidence is inconclusive as he failed to interview the family of Teoh Beng Hock before jumping to his conclusion. He was called by the police to assist in the investigation into the truth or merely to classify the case as non-accidental? Why a young man expecting to be a father would terminate his own life?

1. One can review the extent of the torn trouser's buttock from the photo on this page and decide yourself whether both pathologists' hypothesis is correct or not.
   
2. The tear of the trouser's buttock could not be caused by sitting on the windowsill nor caused by impact of the buttock on the ground from the fall.
   
3. It more likely caused by striking against the window's 3mm metal frame with considerable force as the tear was horizontally across the buttock; the injuries at the buttock are consistent with the striking force against the window's 3mm metal frame;
   
4. The serious tear reached near the thigh region could be caused by someone grasping the back of the mildly torn trouser to lift him off the windowsill and pushed off the window;
5. The landed position of the body indicated that Teoh was facing outward from the window and not facing inward as the heel of left foot was facing towards the building which means that he did not climb out but rather lift up forcefully onto the 3mm metal frame;
   
6. There is hypothesis that at least one person grabbed TBH's belt based on DNA evidence and pushed him off the window. But Teoh could resist with his hands against the window pane producing several fingerprints.
7. It makes sense that Teoh's right hand grabbed the window's handle or something to prevent himself from falling as his right hand fingers were still grasped when he died;
   
8. It seems Teoh's face was facing towards the window pane and not facing towards the building as his left shoe's heel was facing towards the building. The right foot landed first and the impact fractured the thigh bone causing the body to topple to the right side.
   
9. Sitting on the windowsill would not produce such tear to the trouser and jumping off the small opening of the window would not come to such angle of the projectile, to the place where his body was found.
10. If he climbed out of the window himself and holding to the windowsill by both hands before jumping away from the window, it is more likely his face and toes would be facing inward to the building and not otherwise.

Day 11 19-8-2009 Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Mohd Anuar Ismail went blank temporarily when asked about the circumstances in the room when Teoh’s statement was recorded by another officer. “Difficult to say,” Mohd Anuar replied to government-appointed counsel Tan Hock Chuan.

Teoh was in a room at the MACC office in Plaza Masalam with officer Mohd Nadzri Ibrahim, who was recording his statement, at about 2am on July 16. Tan then rephrased his question and asked Mohd Anuar if there were any problems during the recording session. “I walked into the room for a brief moment and asked if there were any problems during the session. “Nadzri said there was no problem while Teoh remained quiet,” Mohd Anuar said. Mohd Anuar said he was not in the room throughout the recording session but only walked in for two to three minutes. The room door remained open at all times, he said, adding that Teoh was not handcuffed at any time.

NATION [19-Aug-2009]

SHAH ALAM: There were many fingerprints on the 14th-floor window that Teoh Beng Hock was believed to have fallen from but they were not tested for a match as they were not complete, an inquest into his death was told.

Comments: The many fingerprints on the window proved that there were more than one person at the window of the 14th floor when Teoh was outside the window and could be holding onto it. So there must be eye-witnesses in the MACC who saw the event. Where is the signed statement of Teoh Beng Hock that MACC Officer said to have recorded the statement in order to prove that Teoh had finished his statement and was discharged by MACC?

On 20-8-2009 Latest Information: Mystery Letter reveals top MACC man in political collusion and the suspected murderer. The letter which emerged at the Teoh Beng Hock inquest yesterday is believed to contain claims connecting a Top Ranking MACC Officer to the interrogation of the political aide, which could have led to his death. The letter allegedly came from Pegawai-Pegawai MACC (SPRM) Headquarters in Putrajaya.

Fw: Last man to see Teoh: MACC threatened me / Another victim of MACC’s ‘racism’?

Last man to see Teoh: MACC threatened me / Another victim of MACC's 'racism'? You will not read this in the mainstream newpapers . Kajang municipal councillor Tan Boon Hwa, who was grilled by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on Wednesday, today shed some light on the corruption watchdog's questionable interrogation techniques. Tan (right) said that the two officers who questioned him tried to extract false confession from him, pressuring him to deny that he supplied 1,500 national flags for a Merdeka function at the Sri Kembangan state constituency. During the interrogation, Tan said the officers used the 'good cop, bad cop' technique; initially being polite but later switching to verbally abusing him and making him to stand for four hours between 10pm to 2am. Tan was questioned on the same day Teoh Beng Hock, the political secretary to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hean Wah, was also interrogated by MACC. According to Tan, he was threatened with physical violence, with one officer pointing to his forehead and allegedly saying, "You don't lie. This is my place. I can hit you. Believe me!" During interrogations, he said other officers would randomly walk into the room to mock his poor command of Bahasa Malaysia and used derogatory terms such as "Cina bodoh" (stupid Chinese) and asked him if he was a Chinese citizen. The worst intimidation, Tan said, were threats to his family which he described as "mental torture". "They said that if I don't 'tell the truth', they will take away my wife and there would be no one to care for the children. But I did not give in," said Tan, during a press conference at the Selangor state secretariat today. He was allowed to sleep on the carpeted floor and the interrogation continued the following morning. Teoh seen at pantry To top it off, when he was released the following day at about 1.30pm, Tan said he was asked by MACC staff not to make an issue over their interrogation technique. "But now, I cannot keep quiet because a life has been lost," said Tan, in reference to the mysterious death of Teoh. Teoh, 30, was found dead yesterday on the fifth floor balcony of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, nine floors below the Selangor MACC office, where he and Tan were questioned. Tan said that after he was told by the MACC officers that he was free to go, he was unaware of the fact that Teoh's body had been discovered. He subsequently left the building. Tan said the MACC raided his house on Wednesday evening without a warrant. He was then taken to the Selangor MACC headquarters at about 9pm. When asked, Tan said he did not know that Teoh was in the same building when he was brought there. The duo met only when Tan woke up at about 6am the following day while on the way to the toilet. "He was in the pantry. I greeted him, but he replied only with a 'Umh'. But when I came out of the toilet, he was gone. He did look a little tired," said Tan. The MACC says that Teoh was released at 3.45am yesterday but he chose to "stay back and sleep on a couch, where he was last seen at 6am." 'It sickens me to see that MACC is allowed to systematically harass and mentally torture opposition leaders and their aides...'. On Last man to see Teoh: MACC threatened me Distressed ordinary citizen: After reading about Teoh Beng Hock's death, I am left speechless with the injustice that has been done on an innocent man. I can only guess what he was made to go through after I read the Kajang municipal councillor's account of his interrogation. It sickens me to see that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is allowed to systematically harass and mentally torture opposition leaders and their aides whilst those in BN who had stolen billions of the rakyat's money can sleep peacefully in cosy bungalows built with ill-gotten money. What kind of country is this? What kind of government do we have that endorses cruel interrogation techniques for political gains? What kind of prime minister do we have who allows his deputy to try to squirm his way out of such a scandalous situation? They all have blood on their hands. The blood of Teoh. The blood of the rakyat who toil and labour to eke out a decent living, who have their hard-earned money taxed and then have those taxes used to finance operations like MACC. Decent-minded people cannot allow our government to continue holding on to power by such foul means. Let the rakyat never ever forget this. Let the rakyat not be fooled by the big-time public relations exercise going on now. This government has to go. Jeffery: Why Teoh? This is not the first time our country has heard of people falling from buildings - there were similar cases of Indian Malaysians who were held in police custody. Indeed, there were cases like Teoh's in the past but Malaysians were not interested because the dead were Indians. MACC officers are not as professional as our police and they have misjudged the importance of this guy. They thought he was just like any ordinary guy who was expandable. Yes, everything is expendable for the sake of national security according to the current system. MACC has apparently used racial slurs during their interrogation and Malaysians must stand for human rights in this country. Kayu Around: It is blatantly obvious that the MACC is only capable of flexing its muscles and wide powers and going after just fish fry - nothing more. Its officers cannot catch any bigger fish because that's the best they can do and show to the public. MACC boleh! On DPM appeals for calm Patriot: Muhyiddin, the corrupt DPM who tried to bribe Manek Urai's voters using our (public) money with a bridge, can go fly a kite. This is my most polite response to his appeal for calm. How can we be calm when our public institutions like the MACC, police and the judiciary, are being misused to prosecute the federal opposition, in this case hounding the aide of a politician to death. Go tell that to Nazri who after asking people not to speculate, jumped to the conclusion that the late Teoh Beng Hock had jumped to his death. On Stop fueling hatred against MACC Peter Ooi: Stop fueling hatred against MACC? This statement makes my blood boil till the mercury overshot the thermometer. Especially when it comes from none other than Khir Toyo. Khir Toyo said that when he was questioned by MACC his conversation with the officers were recorded on CCTV. I believe that Teoh's 'conversation' with the officers were recorded too. Why not Teoh's lawyers compare the nature of questioning with that of Khir Toyo and let us see whether they practise the same standard of questioning? Khir stated: "The difference is, BN politicians do not make MACC the 'scapegoat'". It makes me laugh! Khir Toyo, why should BN politicians make a scapegoat out of MACC? Tell me, so far did MACC ever net any high-profile politicians involved in scandals? Yes, small ikan bilis there are many caught. But those involving billions are enjoying the spoils with impunity. Ooop! Immunity. On Minister: Don't blame MACC S Vignesvaran: Nazri should resign for the betterment of the Malaysian people and country. He is so arrogant to make such an idiotic statement about the death of a young and responsible citizen. If he is saying that no one should come to a conclusion, I'm puzzled how he knew that Teoh jumped out of the building even before the investigation starts? If Teoh was not a suspect, why was he being held up until 4am in the morning? Why the MACC so eager to interrogate a person who was merely providing information, especially involving Pakatan members. If Teoh was a BN member, it will be a different story indeed. Another victim of MACC's 'racism'? PETALING JAYA, July 18 — Is the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) racist? DAP member Dariff Din is buttressing that claim, saying today he was a victim of racial remarks by the body's interrogators looking into alleged misappropriation of state allocations by DAP state lawmakers. Dariff, who is assistant to Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San, is the second person to make the claim after Kajang municipal councillor Tan Boon Wah who made the same allegation yesterday. "They asked me if I was Chinese or Malay and I told them that I was Malaysian but they kept insisting on my race," Dariff told reporters at the DAP Paramount service centre when relating details of his interrogation on July 15 by MACC officials. He said they were mainly interested in his ethnicity rather than the case itself, adding the officer was curious because he looked Chinese but had a Malay name. He told them his father was Malay and mother was Chinese. "Everything went smoothly after they learned that I was a Malay Muslim," Dariff said, adding he was questioned about his background for another hour before they asked him how Lau's office spent the state allocations. The investigator went through all the files they seized from Lau's office, Dariff said, adding he was surprised the officer even asked if anybody had attended the programme even though there were photos to prove the event was not a hoax. "They told me that now there are computers, so the photos can be made," he added After the interrogation was complete, Dariff asked for the written statement but the officer refused and claimed it was against procedure and it was a secret. "How can it be secret when I made the statement?" Dariff asked, adding he was questioned from 4.30pm until 9pm that day. Dariff also asked the interrogator why he was being investigated when there are bigger cases like the PKFZ. "It is not our jurisdiction, it up to the head office. We are only Selangor," he quoted the officer as saying. Dariff added that he was allowed to roam freely in the office and claimed he saw Teoh Beng Hock being escorted to the back of the MACC office at 6pm. Teoh was found dead a day later outside the building. Lau has now instructed his assistant not to attend any interrogation in the MACC office until the investigation is complete and there is royal commission inquiry into Teoh's death as their personal safety is at risk. He said he believes the MACC has no proof but is fishing for evidence against opposition assemblymen and is using scare tactics to get them. Apart from Lau's office, the MACC officers also raided the service centres of Teoh's superior, Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah. They only introduced themselves as MACC officers and demanded Dariff go to the MACC office for questioning.