Malaysia Inside Out

In this, the first of a weekly round up of the top stories in Malaysia and views from Asia, I am in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. Yet it’s hard to miss, or ignore, the events unfolding in Malaysia this week surrounding the death of Teoh Beng Hock, 30 year old political secretary to Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hean Wah.

Not only is this a tragedy for a grieving family and Beng Hock’s pregnant fiance, the repercussions will be felt for a long time to come. Reports suggest that he fell to his death from the building housing the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) in Shah Alam, where he had been held for interview until 3.45am that night. No one can be sure what happened after that. Politicians are calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

On Saturday, police reported that Beng Hock died as a result of a high fall. His death was classified as ‘sudden death’. The reason why he fell has yet to be determined, and dozens of questions are waiting to be answered.

What is known so far? According to Malaysiakini,

‘Teoh, 30, was found dead last Friday [17th July] . He had been picked up on Thursday about 5pm for questioning by the Selangor MACC   in relation to a probe into the spending of constituency funds. His body was found at about 1.30pm the next day on the fifth floor balcony at the building in which the MACC is housed in Shah Alam.’ (Malaysiakini, July 21st)

The Star Online reports that Teoh Beng Hock was a key witness in the probe against several state assemblymen who allegedly misused allocation funds.

An uneasy public clearly wants their questions answered, as a forum held in Penang yesterday evening shows.

Malaysiakini.tv: Tribute to Teoh Beng Hock

Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim, Minister for Information, Communication and Culture was confronted today with a new breed of journalist, the ‘Citizen Journalist’.

Speaking with reporters in Ampang this morning, the Minister was at first unsure how to respond when asked if he supported the growing movement of Citizen Journalism in Malaysia, and whether he thought the growth of citizen journalism was a positive development.

Following some clarification that Citizen Journalists are ‘non-professional reporters or bloggers’ his response echoed his comments in April, in which he stated that “[private media corporations and bloggers] who have broken the laws have to face legal action”.

The potential role of non-professional journalists and bloggers as a source of independent news and views was not touched upon by the Minister, who focused exclusively on the law and the need for writers and bloggers to be responsible for what is written, to prevent the country from falling into a ‘quagmire of untruth and half-truths that would not be good for the civilisation’.

Stating that the right to write should be respected, he also warned that he or she who violates the law through the kind of writing they choose to pursue should face the consequences of their actions, “bravely”.

See the video here