Kepong MP questions delay in alleged abuse charges at Taiping Prison

KEPONG Member of Parliament Lim Lip Eng has called for a comprehensive investigation into alleged misconduct at Taiping Prison, following charges against five prison guards accused of assaulting detainees, insisting that responsibility should extend beyond frontline personnel.

He said the Malaysian Human Rights Commission’s (SUHAKAM) findings suggested possible excessive use of force by prison staff, including allegations involving baton and pepper spray abuse, as well as the submission of false police reports and falsified medical records.

“The question is, why haven't those suspected of filing false reports, approving false information, falsifying medical records, and attempting to cover up the truth been publicly charged yet?” Oriental Daily News reported him saying.

Lim said the case involving detainee Gan Chin Ying, who died on January 17, 2025, had only seen a manslaughter charge brought nearly 11 months later against a prison guard, while five additional guards were charged only after the Human Rights Commission released its findings on May 25 this year.

He questioned whether the case would have remained unresolved without sustained pressure from the victim’s family, public scrutiny and the commission’s investigation.

“If it weren't for the family's insistence on pursuing the case, the public's continued attention, and the Human Rights Commission's investigation, would this case have been buried long ago, and would the truth have continued to be covered up?” he said.

Lim stressed that accountability must extend across the entire chain of command, not only to lower-ranking officers directly involved in the alleged abuse.

“Those who commit violence must face the law. Those who file false reports, falsify records, and those who cover up or condone such acts will also not escape responsibility,” he said.

He urged the Royal Malaysia Police and the Attorney General’s Chambers to provide a public update on the investigation into alleged false reports and falsified medical records, including identifying those involved and clarifying when prosecution decisions would be made.

“Prisons are not above the law. Detainees lose their freedom, not their human rights, much less the right to be beaten, framed, or silenced at will,” he added. - July 4, 2026