Suicide Watch and the RCI

My last posting on "Suicide Watch" has brought this article onto my radar. It is based on a Nanyang news report published on May 17. It seems that while we wait for the verdict on the RCI on Teoh Beng Hock, his death continues to churn stories of moral decline among our politicians. This report, in my view, is damaging to the DAP, especially, since it has from the start openly accused the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) of TBH's murder. It would seem now, nearly two years later, that some people stand to lose a lot if TBH's death was anything but murder.

DAP MEMBER SEEKS RESIGNATION OF LEE KEE HIONG. A DAP Serdang member has urged Lee Kee Hiong, senior member of DAP and ex-political secretary to Lim Kim Siang, to resign from all the party positions she holds.

Yap Guang Ming alleged that Lee was guilty of abuse of state funds for certain constituencies and for misleading the public and DAP members about her involvement in the award of contracts to her family members.

He urged Lee to do the responsible thing and resign from all party positions.  He also called for DAP veteran leader Lim Kit Siang to sever all ties with Lee and take action against her.

Lee was also responsible for Teoh Beng Hock’s involvement in the cooking of DAP Seri Kembangan assemblyman’s books. Yap said that Teoh used to complain that he would be implicated by Lee’s misconduct.

Teoh was aware of these misdeeds and had said he would resign soon after his wedding.

Citing former Klang councilor Tee Boon Hock who was sacked for issuing a support letter, Yap said Lee should face a similar fate for abuse of power.

This call comes on the back of more DAP members voicing their dissatisfaction on how state constituency allocations were siphoned off by third parties and cronies.

As a refresher, let’s flash back to year 2008 long before Teoh Beng Hock was found dead outside MACC’s building a year later.

Lawyer and former Hulu Selangor district councillor K.A. Ramu lodged a complaint with the Selangor DAP against Kajang councillor Lee Kee Hiong over the disbursement of funds for the Kuala Kubu Baru constituency, but no action had been taken.

Ramu resigned from his councillor’s post in October that year following alleged interference from Lee in the management of allocations for that constituency. 

He said he was unhappy with the disbursement of funds by Lee to three companies, adding that he had given the names of the companies in a letter he wrote on Dec 19, 2008 to Selangor DAP secretary Lau Weng San.

No action was taken.

Then Teoh died, which opened up a can of worms though Lee was still untouchable. 

Back to the present. The Royal Commission of Inquiry on Teoh Beng Hock’s death has confirmed Lee’s misdeeds.

Yap said Lee had previously denied her relationship with contractor Lee Wye Wing until the RCI hearing where she finally admitted that Lee Wye Wing is actually her uncle.  

Unbeknownst to many, Lee Kee Hiong manages all of Selangor Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah’s allocations for his constituency.

“Most of all the projects below RM20,000 had been awarded to Lee Wye Wing’s wife under the company WSK Services and Teoh was the one who was in charge of Sri Kembangan‘s allocation.”

Yap stressed that Lee owed Teoh’s family an explanation, especially about Teoh’s involvement in the alleged misuse of state funds.

In response, Lee clarified that Ean Yong had never delegated the authority to a third party to manage state allocations. She herself had no control over the allocations.  

“Teoh wasn’t responsible for Seri Kembangan’s funds. He was only involved in paperwork, preparing the documents and forms.”

Lee said Teoh didn’t consider Yap as a friend because he disliked Yap playing mahjong in the party’s clothes.

“Teoh and Yap were not on good terms and Yap didn’t attend Teoh’s funeral,” she said.