More than 1,000 expected at Teoh's funeral on Monday
ALOR GAJAH: Soh Cher Wei, the 28-year-old fiance of Teoh Beng Hock, will go ahead and legalise him as the father of her unborn child. She is two months pregnant.
The child's status was among the main concerns raised by his family as Teoh and Soh have yet to register and solemnise their marriage. He died on the day they were to register their marriage.
The matter was brought up by Teoh's youngest sister Teoh Lee Lan, 29, and Soh to several leaders who came to pay their last respects to the family in Taman Sri Kelemak, Alor Gajah Sunday.
Among those who offered help to legalise Teoh as the father of the unborn child were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's political secretary Dr Oh Ei Sun and MCA secretary-general Datuk Wong Foon Meng. Oh was there to convey Najib's condolences to the family.
"I will personally help them in the matter and will request the relevant departments to assist them," Oh said after meeting with Teoh's family here Sunday.
Meanwhile, Soh she had decided to give her child the Teoh family name but is unsure as her marriage plans were shattered by his death.
"However, my only concern is that I am unable to do because we had not registered our marriage," she said, adding that it was Teoh who accompanied her to the doctor to confirm her pregnancy.
On the question of solemnising her marriage according to the traditional Chinese rites, Soh said she would only discuss this with Teoh's family after the funeral was settled.
According to Chinese custom, a living person is still able to marry someone who has passed away through an elaborate traditional marriage ceremony involving a chicken to represent the deceased partner.
Oh said he would personally convey Teoh's family's request for a Royal Commission of Inquiry Najib.
"I will certainly convey their request personally to the Prime Minister when he returns," he said, adding that a decision on whether the commission would be set up will be made known after the Cabinet meeting this coming Wednesday.
He also consoled Teoh's mother 56-year-old Teng Shuw Hor, 56, who was weeping and her husband Teoh Leong Hwee, 62.
"I received a call from the Prime Minister on Saturday night to come personally and convey his message of condolences to Teoh Beng Hocks family," he said, adding that Najib was keen to see the family but was currently away on official duties in Saudi.
Teoh's family also explained to Dr Oh their refusal for a second independent post mortem as was initially sought.
Leong Hwee said the family had had to wait three days for the initial post mortem to be completed before his son's body was returned to the family and another autopsy would have meant several more days of delay.
"I want you to convey this to the Prime Minister that the rejection of the second post mortem does not mean we accept as truth the one that was carried out.
"We decided not to have the second post mortem to avoid prolonging our grief and anguish," he said.
Earlier, Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) chief senior assistant commissioner Chuah Chang Man was amongst the hundreds that came to pay their respects to the family.
Although refusing to comment on MACC's ongoing investigations and internal probe, he said that there was a proposal by the commission to carry out an internal review of its current detention, interrogation and questioning procedures.
At present, he said, the commission had it own set of procedures but the proposed review would look at ways address weaknesses.
Also paying his respects to the family was DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng who announced that the party would set up a trust fund for Teoh's unborn child.
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 people are expected to gather at Teoh's family home before the burial ceremony in Nirvana Memorial Park in Semenyih, Selangor Monday morning.
According to NV Multi Corporation Berhad's senior general manager Datuk Freddy L.F. Chan, the funeral ceremony is scheduled to begin at 8.30am with last respects by family members held at 10.15am before Beng Hock's cortege leaves for burial in Semenyih at 11am.
The journey to Nirvana Memorial Park in Semenyih is expected to take about 90minutes with the burial rites lasting until about 12.30pm, he said when met here Sunday.
He said that the company had decided to waive the funeral costs of about RM20,000 for Beng Hock family as part of its corporate social responsibility.
Source: The Star
What a tragic death. May him rest in peace. And justice to be prevailed once what had caused him to for the fall is identified.
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