Summary of events so far in Teoh case.Click to enlarge.
Cemetery workers preparing to open up Teoh Beng Hock's casket after it was exhumed at the Nirvana Memorial Garden in Semenyih.
Truth at all cost: Meng Kee (front) and Lee Lan leaving the Shah Alam Coroner’s court yesterday after filing an application for Teoh’s remains to be exhumed.
Pathologist Pornthip Rojanasunand suspects Mr Teoh was murdered
The body of a Malaysian opposition activist who died in police custody has been exhumed after a pathologist said there was an 80% chance he was killed.
Teoh Beng Hock fell nine stories to his death from the offices of the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission in July.
He was said to have committed suicide after being questioned over allegations that his boss had misused public funds.
The authorities will be conducting a second autopsy on the body, following suspicions of foul play.
Last month Thai pathologist Pornthip Rojanasunand said marks on the body suggested Mr Teoh had been tortured and strangled.
Her testimony had been sought by the opposition-led authorities in Selangor state - where Mr Teoh was an aide to a member of the state cabinet.
Abuse of power?
The BBC's Jennifer Pak in Kuala Lumpur says her story gave credence to a widely held belief that Mr Teoh's interrogation was part of a government drive to discredit opposition politicians after their success in 2008 elections.
The ruling coalition's confidence was shaken after it lost its two-thirds majority for the first time in four decades.
The country's anti-corruption commission has called on a British pathologist to observe the second post-mortem on Mr Teoh's body.
The Malaysian government has accused the opposition of politicising his death.
In July, a member of the governing coalition quit to join the opposition Pakatan Alliance.
Chua Jui Meng said he was concerned about alleged abuse of power and Mr Teoh's unexplained death.
Teoh body finally exhumed for 2nd Autopsy will be witness by Britain and Thai forensic expert.The exhumation had been ordered by the inquest into the political aide’s recent death, after Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand testified that his likely cause of death was homicide and not suicide.
The body, reportedly in good condition, was sent to the Sungai Buloh Hospital where it was subjected to X-ray and CT scans.
Teoh was found dead on the fifth floor of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in Shah Alam on July 16 and an inquest into his death is ongoing at the Shah Alam Coroner’s Court.
Members of the media started gathering at the Nirvana Memorial Garden in Semenyih early in the morning and there were almost 40 pressmen by the time the prayer rituals started at 9am.
The grave had been cordoned off with about three metres high of white canvas, thus obscuring the view of the pressmen and passers-by.
By 10.40am, 10 cemetery workers had disinterred the casket and Teoh’s body was identified by his siblings Teoh Lee Lan and Teoh Beng Kee.
The casket was then wrapped up in plastic sheets before it was placed in a hearse and headed for Sungai Buloh Hospital, where Teoh’s parents were waiting.
It is learnt that Soh Cher Wei, who went through a marriage ceremony with Teoh after his death, stayed home as she is six months pregnant with his child.
Dr Pornthip was present to observe the exhumation, together with Sungai Buloh Hospital chief pathologist Dr Shahidan Md Noor.
Lee Lan had earlier told the press that she felt heavy hearted over the exhumation but hoped the second autopsy would reveal her brother’s cause of death.
“We are prepared to find out the truth,” she said. Gobind Singh Deo, counsel for the Teoh family, said the body appeared to be in good condition.
“As far as I can tell, it looked like it was in good condition. But I am a lawyer, not a doctor, so we’ll see what the experts say,” he said, adding that there were six pathologists present including Dr Pornthip.
“Dr Pornthip was here to observe the exhumation. We don’t want any complaints later on (about the procedures). The post-mortem will be done tomorrow at 9.30am, and I was told they hope to get it done by early afternoon,” he said.
Gobind added that he did no see anyone from MACC, saying they “should have sent a representative”.
Also present were Teoh’s former boss Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang and another Selangor state executive councillor Ronnie Liu.
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Teoh Beng Hock's body was exhumed Saturday for a second autopsy at the Sungai Buloh Hospital. The exhumation had been ordered by the inquest into the political aide's death, after a Thai pathologist testified that his likely cause of death was homicide and not suicide.
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