By P Ramasamy
Those responsible for deaths in custody are simply getting away with “murder”.
Despite calls for the setting up of an independent police commission to investigate deaths in custody, the government prefers to let the status quo prevail.
The only consolation is the setting up of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) which is empowered to hold hearings into deaths in custody. However, this agency remains a toothless “tiger”.
How was it possible for a lorry driver, Mohd Izam Abdul Rahman, 39, with no previous ailments, to succumb to “sudden death” upon admission to the Bukit Mertajam hospital in Penang on April 26, 2017?
His wife Siti Hawa Mispan told the press yesterday that her husband was healthy before the police arrested him. She is unable to accept that he died a sudden death apparently arising from breathing difficulties.
The unfortunate and tragic death of Izam, the father of four children with ages ranging from 5 to 10, represents the first case of custodial death in Penang in 2017.
In the country as a whole, we have five cases of custodial deaths so far this year. We expect the figures to go up.
It is clear that there is no political will on the part of the Federal Government to end this nightmare in police stations and in prisons.
Some of those in uniform continue to function as though they have immunity from prosecution. In other words, a culture of impunity seems to have emboldened a few to “commit crimes” in the name of law and order.
It has often been repeated that without an independent commission to look into these deaths and injuries, there is no way to check the blatant abuse and total disregard for the law.
Invariably, those who meet their unfortunate end in police lock-ups and prisons are those members who come from the most vulnerable section of society– members of the working class.
P Ramasamy is Deputy Chief Minister II Penang.
With a firm belief in freedom of expression and without prejudice, FMT tries its best to share reliable content from third parties. Such articles are strictly the writer’s personal opinion. FMT does not necessarily endorse the views or opinions given by any third party content provider.