A TOTAL of 42 deaths in custody were recorded in 2025, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told Parliament, with investigations indicating that most cases were due to underlying health conditions.
Saifuddin said the figure comprised eight deaths in prison facilities and 34 involving individuals under police care, including 22 who died while in police detention and 12 in police lock-ups.
He said investigations found that the deaths were mainly caused by health factors such as heart attacks, strokes and complications arising from chronic illnesses.
“To ensure transparency, every death in custody is thoroughly investigated by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), including post-mortems, internal inquiries and, where misconduct is suspected, referral to the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC),” he said in a written parliamentary reply on Thursday.
Saifuddin was responding to a question from Hassan Abdul Karim (PH–Pasir Gudang), who sought clarification on the number of recent deaths involving suspects in police lock-ups and inmates in prisons, as well as the measures taken to prevent such incidents.
The minister said the Home Ministry has tightened standard operating procedures in both lock-ups and prisons, enhanced health screening and monitoring of detainees and inmates, strengthened integrity and detainee-handling training for enforcement personnel, and expanded the use of closed-circuit television with regular compliance audits.
He stressed that the ministry remains committed to safeguarding the safety and welfare of all detainees and inmates, adding that it will not compromise on any form of misconduct. - February 5, 2026
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