The funeral of a Malaysian ethnic Chinese opposition official who died after questioning by anti-graft officials drew thousands of angry mourners, threatening to raise tensions. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
KUALA LUMPUR - THE funeral of a Malaysian ethnic Chinese opposition official who died after questioning by anti-graft officials drew thousands of angry mourners on Monday, threatening to raise tensions in this Southeast Asian country.
THE MACC said that it picked up Teoh on Wednesday for questioning as a witness in a graft probe, but that he was released early the next morning. He was found dead later the same day, having fallen from the building that housed the MACC offices.
Observers say the issue could develop into a political headache for Mr Najib, who took over as premier in April from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi following the ruling National Front's disastrous showings in the 2008 general elections.
Teoh Beng Hock, an aide to a legislator from the opposition-run state of Selangor, was found dead on Thursday, having fallen from a 20-storey building not long after he was released from questioning by the country's anti-graft body.
Many of the country's opposition leaders attended the funeral in the central state of Malacca and mourners carried a red-lettered banner reading: 'We want truth and an explanation.'
The death came as new Prime Minister Najib Razak had seen his approval ratings rise after opening up the economy and pushing an inclusive concept dubbed '1Malaysia' in a country where the majority of the 27 million population are Malays but where there are big ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
'This could potentially drag down support levels for the government and Najib, although at present it is limited to certain segments of society,' said Ibrahim Suffian, head of the independent Merdeka Center which conducted the polls.
Merdeka's most recent poll showed that Mr Najib's approval ratings had surged to 65 per cent from 45 per cent in May, including a rise in support from ethnic Chinese voters to 48 per cent who said they were 'satisfied' from 24 per cent in May.
'There is a public outcry for a Royal Commission and this must be called as soon as possible to calm public anxieties and concern,' said Ramon Navaratnam, an ex-head of the Malaysian branch of Transparency International and now an adviser to the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC), the anti-graft body.
Teoh's funeral was heavily covered by independent online news websites, many of which provide news that is not given by the state-run newspaper and television channels.
It comes at a time when Malaysia's judiciary is under scrutiny as the country's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been charged with sodomy, something he denies.
'Final ceremony for Teoh Beng Hock's last journey begins, grief, anger shroud ceremony, nation stands in shame,' wrote Lim Kit Siang, a leader of the opposition Democratic Action Party, in a twitter posting as he attended the funeral. -- REUTERS
