The case
Who was Teoh Beng Hock?
Teoh Beng Hock was a Malaysian journalist and political aide. Born in Melaka in 1979, he graduated from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and began his career as a journalist with Sin Chew Daily.
Following Malaysia’s 2008 general election, Beng Hock became the political aide to Ean Yong Hian Wah, a member of the Selangor State Executive Council.
15–16 July 2009
What happened?
On 15 July 2009, officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) took Beng Hock to its Selangor headquarters at Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam for questioning. He was there as a witness in an investigation concerning constituency funds. He was questioned into the night.
At about 1:30pm the following day, Beng Hock was found dead on the fifth-floor exterior landing of Plaza Masalam. The MACC office was located on the 14th floor.
2009–2011
Coroner’s inquest
Following Beng Hock’s death, a coroner’s inquest was opened to determine how he had died. The proceedings lasted for more than a year and heard evidence from witnesses, forensic experts and MACC officers.
5 January 2011
Inquest finding
The Coroner’s Court returned an open verdict. It established neither suicide nor homicide, leaving the circumstances of Beng Hock’s death unresolved.
The inconclusive finding prompted renewed calls from Beng Hock’s family and civil society for a more thorough and independent investigation.
2011
Royal Commission of Inquiry
Following the open verdict and sustained public pressure, the government established a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate Beng Hock’s death and the MACC’s investigation methods.
21 July 2011
RCI conclusion
The Commission found that Beng Hock had been subjected to aggressive, relentless and oppressive questioning by MACC officers, and concluded that he had taken his own life after the interrogation.
Beng Hock’s family rejected the conclusion that he had died by suicide, and the finding remained deeply contested.
2014
Court of Appeal
Three years later, the Court of Appeal set aside the open verdict and fundamentally changed the legal position on Beng Hock’s death.
5 September 2014
Court of Appeal finding
The Court held that Beng Hock’s death resulted from, or was accelerated by, the unlawful act or acts of one or more unknown persons, including MACC officers involved in his arrest and investigation.
The decision remains the legal position on Beng Hock’s death today: it was not an unexplained death, but one caused by unlawful acts.
What happened next?
2014
Police reopen the investigation
Following the Court of Appeal judgment, police announced that the case would be reinvestigated. Yet no prosecution followed.
2024
A renewed promise, and a court order
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met Beng Hock’s family and announced a renewed investigation, promising that it would be conducted fairly and transparently. Later that year, the High Court ordered police to complete the long-delayed investigation within six months.
2025
Investigation classified as NFA
The Attorney-General’s Chambers classified the latest investigation as “No Further Action”, saying there was insufficient evidence to establish an offence against any individual. The investigation had been conducted under Section 342 of the Penal Code, concerning wrongful confinement.
2026
The family returns to court
Beng Hock’s family filed a fresh judicial review application seeking to compel the authorities to investigate his death under the Penal Code provisions for murder or culpable homicide. They continue to challenge the failure to investigate the death in a manner that addresses the Court of Appeal’s 2014 findings.
Where the case stands today
17 years on, no one has been held accountable for Beng Hock’s death.
The Court of Appeal found in 2014 that unlawful acts by one or more unknown persons, including MACC officers, caused or accelerated his death. Yet successive investigations have not resulted in criminal charges. Beng Hock’s family and TBH-ADA continue to seek a proper criminal investigation, full disclosure and accountability.