KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 — Teoh Beng Hock’s high-profile death in 2009 was not caused by pressure over a probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), his former employer Ean Yong Hian Wah testified in court today.

During cross-examination, Ean Yong disagreed with Senior Federal Counsel Azizan Md Arshad’s suggestion that Teoh had faced pressure because of the anti-graft agency’s investigation and documents that were found in Teoh’s laptop.

“Because of that pressure, he can’t take it, that’s why this incident happened?” Azizan further asked, appearing to suggest that Teoh had committed suicide.

“Not agree,” Ean Yong replied when testifying as the fourth witness in the negligence suit filed by Teoh’s family against the MACC, the government and 12 others.

Earlier, Ean Yong replied in the negative when asked by Azizan if Teoh had failed to carry out his instructions or had complained about his job.

“During the tenure as your personal assistant, have you ever heard or came across or you can see that he is under stress?” Azizan asked.

“No,” the Seri Kembangan state assemblyman and Selangor state exco member replied.

According to Ean Yong, Teoh had worked as his political secretary for around two years and was involved in the distribution of part of the allocations given to him as a Selangor lawmaker.

Ean Yong also explained how the allocations were distributed, saying that he had to first give his approval for projects in his constituency, with Teoh drafting the approval letter that will be sent to the land office along with the contractors’ quotation.

The land office would then issue a letter of offer to contractors and pay them after receiving the necessary documents and checking the project site, Ean Yong told Azizan.

He disagreed that he was aware that some of the allocations had been channelled to DAP branches.

When Azizan asked if Teoh was aware that some of the funds were sent to the political party’s branches, Ean Yong pointedly replied: “You have to ask him (Teoh).”

Ean Yong’s reply prompted Azizan to ask him not to attempt to act “smart”, leading the lawmaker to then add, “I don’t know”.

The judge also interjected to ask Ean Yong to answer the question.

The hearing before High Court judge Rosnaini Saub will resume at 2.30pm today, with Teoh’s father Teoh Leong Hwee and mother Teng Shuw Hoi expected to take the stand.

Yesterday, administrative assistant Ramli Shafiai had testified over Beng Hock’s salary slip, while Restaurant Joon Chan’s owner Pang York Tee had gave evidence as the second witness on the RM5,718 catering bill paid by Beng Hock’s family.

Beng Hock’s then fiancee Soh Cher Wei testified as the third witness yesterday, while China Press advertising sales representative Lai Mooy Kiau today confirmed that Teoh’s family had paid for his obituary in the Chinese-language daily.

On October 30 last year, four of Beng Hock’s family members - his parents, his then fiancee Soh Cher Wei and his son Teoh Er Jia - had filed the negligence suit, seeking damages for sadness, loss of dependency and negligence on the part of the defendants in his death.

The family are arguing that the MACC had allegedly failed to explain how Beng Hock was found dead, and claimed the anti-corruption agency’s officers had “wrongfully attacked” the political aide to Selangor lawmaker Ean Yong Hian Wang during questioning, causing the “witness” to feel fear, torment, extreme distress and apprehension of immediate physical violence.

But the MACC and the government counter-claimed that Beng Hock’s own negligence had caused his death.

In July 2009, Beng Hock was interrogated by MACC officers overnight before the 30-year-old groom-to-be was found dead the next day.

The DAP political aide’s body was found on July 16, 2009 at a fifth-floor landing of Shah Alam’s Plaza Masalam, with the Selangor MACC’s office being located on the 14^th floor then.

On January 5, 2011, coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas had delivered an open verdict at the end of an inquest into Beng Hock’s death, ruling that his death was neither a suicide nor a homicide.

On July 21, 2011, a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Beng Hock’s death found that he was driven to suicide after aggressive, relentless and oppressive interrogation by three MACC officers.

In a separate court matter, the Court of Appeal has fixed January 23 next year to hear an application to review the Coroner’s Court’s 2011 open verdict on Beng Hock’s death.