In its findings into several issues involving incidents in police lock-ups and detention centres, Suhakam highlighted the case of a 30-year-old man’s death in custody at the Bentong police station lock-up in 2020.
Suhakam said the victim, G Jestus Kevin was nabbed on April 2 for alleged theft and was found dead on April 5.
It was reported the death was caused by meningoencephalitis (brain inflammation) with multiple blunt force trauma.
Suhakam said the medical report showed that the victim suffered many injuries including a broken rib.
“A fellow inmate has testified that the deceased was tied with a blanket and beaten by other inmates and a police officer.
“This has also been confirmed through a CCTV footage of the lock-up,” Suhakam commissioner Jerald Joseph said in a virtual press conference today.
It was reported that the victim was mentally unstable and was found making noises, talking alone, climbing walls and trying to commit suicide.
“Suhakam is of the opinion that the deceased should have been sent to a hospital for treatment. Instead, the deceased continued to be detained and fell victim to injuries caused by other inmates in the lock-up.”
He said the findings had recommended strict action in accordance with the law against all those involved in injuring the victim.
CCTVs were very much an issue with the matter of damaged and non-working cameras in police stations being raised, following the incident where a 16-year-old girl was raped by a male detainee while being held at the Miri police station lock-up.
Joseph said this was not an isolated case. “There are many other police stations that do not have a functioning CCTV.”
He said CCTV was also important for police to defend themselves against any allegations. “With CCTV, police can maintain their integrity.”
The findings had also touched on the issue of infectious diseases in prisons and detention centres.
“Suhakam found that most detention centres in Malaysia, especially prisons and immigration depots have cases of infectious skin diseases, such as scabies and Hepatitis C among detainees,” he said.
He believed this was caused by the overcrowding problem in the centres and had recommended for the decriminalisation of drug use to fix the problem.