KUALA LUMPUR – Opposition leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on newly minted Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani to carry out independent investigations on deaths in custody which has been on the rise in the past month.
The Port Dickson MP said Acryl Sani should take on the responsibility as the new IGP to conduct a transparent and thorough investigation to make sure custodial deaths do not occur.
“Deaths in police custody is an issue that worries the Indian community.
“If we look at the statistics of deaths in custody, there are more Malays but the perception is a problem of the Indian community.
The opposition chief later elaborated that the deaths were disproportionate to the Indian population.
“I do not see this as a racial issue,” he said through a special address on the party’s Facebook page today.
Anwar said he has asked the IGP to carry out investigations to appease the frustration and anger in the people.
“We cannot punish without carrying out an investigation.
“If you want to punish police who are in the wrong without a prior investigation, it is not right,” he said.
On June 3, a detainee at the South Klang district police headquarters had died while in police custody.
Umar Faruq Abdullah @ Hemanathan’s death was the fourth custodial death to be reported in less than two months, and the second in under a week.
All four victims were ethnic Indian men.
On May 27, 21-year-old Surendran Shanker died atKluang Hospital less than a month of being moved to Simpang Renggam Prison on drug charges.
Meanwhile 43-year-old security guard Sivabalan Subramaniam died within an hour of being taken in at the Gombak district police headquarters.
It came less than a month after the same station was embroiled in controversy over the death of A. Ganapathy, 40, while in police custody.
Ganapathy died in hospital on April 18, more than a month after being taken there from the station on March 8.
Human rights NGO Suaram had said Indians comprise 55% of custodial deaths.
According to the Statistics Department there were 1,600 deaths in custody between 2010 and 2017. – The Vibes, June 6, 2021
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