SHAH ALAM, March 20 — A group, incensed that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers who interrogated Teoh Beng Hock have been promoted, protested outside the Selangor MACC headquarters yesterday and demanded to meet its director.

The demonstrators stood outside Wisma PKPS from 10.30am chanting and demanding for Selangor MACC director Datuk Simi Abdul Ghani to give an explanation.

It was revealed recently that two officers involved in Teoh’s interrogation in 2009 were promoted recently.

Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching said former Selangor MACC deputy director Hishamuddin Hashim, who was the last person to interrogate Teoh before his death, had been made the new Sabah MACC director.

She asked the Attorney-General’s Chambers to take action.

Besides Hishamuddin, she said, Mohd Anuar Ismail, who was in Grade 44 in 2009, was now in Grade 48.

The police told the group, which called itself Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy, to disperse after an hour, as a light strike force team stood by.

After negotiating with the police, they left half an hour later without meeting the director.

Teoh’s parents and sister Lee Lan were present.

Lee Lan said through a loud hailer: “We didn’t expect the director would be scared to come down and meet us. My parents have come from far away.”

She asked Simi to meet her family with an explanation within a week and said they would head for Sabah to protest against Hishamuddin.

“If there is still no action taken, we will protest against the police,” she said.

The Court of Appeal ruled last year that Teoh’s fall from the then Selangor MACC office was not suicide but a result of an unlawful act or acts of a person or persons unknown.

Police were instructed by the court to commence investigation into the case.

A Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Teoh’s death also implicated officers Arman Alies and Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus.

Teoh, who was a political aide to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on July 16, 2009 at Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, where the state MACC headquarters was located at the time.

He had been interrogated by the MACC from the day before.

Machang Bubuk MP Lee Khai Loon said MACC’s action to promote the two officers was “an insult to public service”.

“As we wait for the truth (on Teoh’s case), an officer involved has received a promotion. There are many other officers to pick from, how do you decide to promote someone who is involved in an ongoing case?” he asked.