The Malaysian Insight

ABDUL Razak Musa, the senior federal counsel who caused a stir at the inquest into the death of Teoh Beng Hock a decade ago, has been appointed solicitor-general with effect from July 14.

The letter of appointment dated July 8, which was sighted by The Malaysian Insight, was signed by Attorney-General Idrus Harun.

Razak will replace Solicitor-General Engku Nor Faizah Engku Atek, who is currently the No. 2 in the Attorney-General’s Chambers. The AGC website said Engku Nor turns 60 this month.

Razak was previously the chairman of the Prevention of Crime and Terrorism Board, under the Home Ministry.

He received flak when he acted as senior federal counsel for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at the inquest into the death of Teoh, an aide to a Selangor exco, who was found dead at the MACC Selangor headquarters at Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam the previous year.

Teoh, a witness in a probe into alleged misappropriation of Selangor funds, was questioned by the MACC at the 14th floor of the building on July 15, 2009, before the body was found on the fifth floor the next day.

During the inquest, Razak received flak when he at one point suggested that Teoh had strangled himself with a tie, refuting Thai pathologist Pornthip Rojanasunand who believed it was most likely a homicide.

Razak left lawyers and the public gallery alternately bemused and frustrated as he cross-examined Pornthip, a Thai forensics expert.

There were also some tense moments when Razak was almost cited for contempt after he had made certain remarks about the late lawyer Karpal Singh’s disability.

Razak reportedly said: “I can sit but you cannot stand” to Karpal, who was wheelchair-bound.

A war of words then ensued between Razak, Karpal and his son, Gobind Singh Deo, who was then holding a watching brief for Teoh’s family, leading to the latter two demanding Razak be cited for contempt.

Razak also later acted as a deputy public prosecutor in the murder trial of deputy public prosecutor Kevin Morais at the Kuala Lumpur High Court in 2016. – July 9, 2020.