Suhakam commissioner Mariati Robert said the commission had probed the deaths of Pakistani national Jamshed Ahmed, 25, and Zaidi Abdul Hamid, 49, and found “troubling instances” that pointed to negligence.

Jamshed was being held at the Bukit Jalil immigration depot in Kuala Lumpur while Zaidi was serving time in the Pokok Sena prison in Kedah.

Mariati said Jamshed was detained on Jan 6 last year at his home in Bukit Sentosa, Rawang, and died in custody on Jan 15 allegedly after not receiving his daily insulin shots for diabetes.

“No preliminary health screening was conducted and officers were unaware of his diabetic condition until he fainted on Jan 9.

“He died six days later,” she said at a press conference at Suhakam’s headquarters here.

The Suhakam commissioner added that no police officer was assigned to investigate Jamshed’s death report or initiate a coroner’s inquiry.

She said Suhakam had reached out to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) on Sept 10 last year requesting an inquest into the inmate’s death, but had yet to receive a response.

No medical care after being whipped 12 times

The other case involved Zaidi, who was initially sentenced to death in 2015 but had his sentence commuted on Sept 10 last year to 33 years in prison with 12 strokes of the cane.

Suhakam commissioner Noor Aziah Awal said Zaidi died on Oct 7 after developing severe pus-filled, infected wounds following 12 strokes of the cane. He was allegedly left without proper medical care following the punishment.

“He was not placed in the sickbay and was simply returned to his cell. No antibiotics were used to treat his wounds, which are usually used in such cases,” Aziah said.

The prisons department had reported Zaidi’s death on Oct 10, saying an autopsy confirmed that he died from a blood infection. He had complained of feeling unwell on Oct 4, nine days after the administration of his caning punishment.

The department had said the prisoner received appropriate care after his punishment, including daily wound treatment and regular health monitoring.

However, Aziah claimed that other inmates in Pokok Sena prison had been put in charge of cleaning wounds and assisting with basic care at the prison’s clinic, without the presence of trained medical personnel.

“These deaths highlight serious gaps in the custodial system. Every person, regardless of their wrongdoing, has the right to be treated with dignity,” she said.

Aziah urged for a thorough inspection of the quality of medical services provided in Pokok Sena prison as well as other prisons and detention centres nationwide.

Suhakam also called for the abolition of all civil and shariah laws allowing caning as a punishment.