Teoh Beng Hock Inquest-Investigating Officer and Chinese Translator Grilled By Gobind Singh Deo

Kuching
Tuesday, 21st September 2010

The contents of a controversial note ending with the words zai jian (which means either “goodbye” or “see you again” in Chinese) and said to be written by political aide Teoh Beng Hock were made public for the first time at the coroner’s court.

The note, written in Chinese with two phrases in Bahasa Malaysia on a piece of A4 paper, was tendered to coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas yesterday through investigating officer ASP Ahmad Nazri Zainal.

The note, purportedly written before his death, read: Ou Yang, They have taken my computer without making copies of the documents. The target is all the while you. Sorry. Pretending to know but actually not knowing and consequently you have been dragged in. I said “mendapat lulusan YB” (getting YB’s permission), they insisted on typing “mengikut arahan YB” (following YB’s instructions). I can’t help you. Apology. Sorry. I am very tired. Goodbye

The note purpotely found in Teoh's bag

Translation of the note in Bahasa Malaysia

ASP Ahmad Nazri told the court that he found the note among Teoh’s belongings on July 17 last year.

He said a Malaysian Anti-Corrup­tion Commission officer had shown him Teoh’s bag that was found on the sofa on the 14th floor of the MACC office in Plaza Masalam.

ASP Ahmad Nazri brought the bag to his office and began listing the items found in it on July 17.

He said he listed down the “important items” and left out the others.

He added that he also did not list down the note written on the white A4 size paper.

However, Teoh’s family lawyer Gobind Singh Deo questioned the authenticity of the note.

ASP Ahmad Nazri said the handwriting on the A4 paper note was compared with the Chinese handwriting on a voucher and notebook found in Teoh’s bag.

However, he did not know whose handwriting was on the voucher and notebook.

To a question by Gobind, ASP Ahmad Nazri said he did not verify the handwriting on the voucher and the notebook.

Gobind: Isn’t it important (to investigate the handwriting on the voucher and notebook)?

ASP Ahmad Nazri: Yes

Gobind: If it is important, why didn’t you certify the handwriting on the voucher and notebook?

ASP Ahmad Nazri: It did not cross my mind.

Court interpreter Ting Chin Kin, who translated the controversial note into Bahasa Malaysia, was questioned over certain words in the letter.

It was pointed out in court that the Chinese words zai jian in the note were translated as selamat tinggal (goodbye) in Bahasa Malaysia.

However, when Gobind produced a Chinese-English dictionary and asked Ting to read out the definition of zai jian, she read out: “See you again.”

Counsel Tan Hock Chuan, who represented the Government, then asked Ting why she chose to translate the words zai jian as selamat tinggal, to which she replied that the Chinese words could mean either see you again or selamat tinggal.

Azmil fixed Oct 14 for the inquest to be continued.

Teoh, 30, the political secretary to Selangor executive council member Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead the morning after he was taken to the state MACC office in Plaza Masalam here for questioning on July 15 last year – over alleged irregularities in the disbursement of funds.

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