Paul Low to brief NGOs on custodial deaths tomorrow

Several non-governmental organisations are to be briefed on the outcome of the cabinet discussion on curbing custodial deaths by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Paul Low tomorrow.

The briefing will be held at the Prime Minister's Department at 9.30am, MIC strategy director S Vell Paari said.

"We will discuss what happened during the cabinet meeting. I was told that the cabinet had a lengthy discussion on the matter," Vell Paari (right) told Malaysiakiniyesterday.

On Tuesday, Lowinitiated a meetingwith several Indian-led or Indian-based NGOs, including the BN coalition member MIC, to source feedback on deaths in police custody, before making a presentation to the cabinet yesterday.

Vell Paari said the matter should not be seen as a communal issue and that groups representing other ethnic groups would also be invited to the briefing tomorrow.

"There are Malays and Chinese who have died in the custody of law enforcers as well. Anyone who wants to attend this briefing should let us know," he said.

Vell threatens street demo

At the meeting with Low on Tuesday, one group said there were 122 deaths in custody - comprising 64 Malays, 30 Chinese and 28 Indians - between 2000 and 2010.

Several Indian-based NGOs have threatened to hold a street demonstration to press the government to address this issue.

However, they will only decide on whether to proceed with the event after Low briefs them on the discussions in the cabinet and the position the government takes on the matter.

Vell Paari has also made a similar threat to go to the streets to protest.