Edict disputes perception Indians 'over-represented' in custodial deaths

In the wake of the brutal killing of an African American by the police in Minneapolis, USA recently, a local human rights group has disputed perception that Indians are over-represented in custodial deaths in the country.

In a statement released yesterday, Eliminating Death and Abuse in Custody Together (Edict) said some Malaysians drew comparisons between the death of George Floyd and the custodial deaths involving local Indians in Malaysia.

"Some of us say that, according to the daily newspapers, it’s mostly Indians who die in Malaysia.

"We make the claim based on this fact: in the obituary sections, the majority of death announcements are of Indians.

"Some Malaysians have recirculated old articles or published new articles comparing Indians in Malaysia to African Americans in the USA," Edict said.

The group then pointed to an article titled "Indian Malaysians are over-represented in police custody deaths" published by The Rakyat Post last Thursday.

Anne Dorall, the writer of the article pointed out Indians make up less than seven percent of Malaysia's population but account for 23 percent of officially reported deaths in police custody.

The article quoted Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) as estimating that this number could be higher, at 55 percent.

"The key fact is this: on average, 16 persons die in Malaysian police lock-ups each year. That’s the problem which needs to be addressed," Edict said.

The group then referred to another writer, Martin Vengadesan, who authored "Whose lives matter" published in The Star in 2018 and another article, “White trash, George Floyd (below) and the Malaysian equivalent” in Malaysiakini last month.

The earlier article was being re-circulated following the death of Floyd. Similarly, Vengadesan raised concern over the higher number of custodial deaths involving Indians in his first article and touched on the killing of Floyd in his second article.

While Vengadesan referred to the same Suaram data suggesting that 55 percent of news reports of deaths in custody are of Indians, his own study of news reports of custodial deaths in the mainstream media from 1996-2011 led him to an estimate these deaths at nearly 80 percent.

"He leaves it to readers to decide which data they 'choose to embrace' since the key point remains the same: 'a disproportionate number of Indians have died in the lock-ups'. His point is, “Many injustices do not have a racial slant to them, but police brutality does appear to," Edict said.

The NGO added: "Both Anne and Martin suggest Malaysian police target Indians. We respectfully disagree.

"We know many will be upset by what we say here because they sincerely believe Indians have a bad deal in Malaysia.

"We are well aware that hundreds of thousands of Indians have died while establishing and working on plantations during the British era and on the 'death railway' during the Japanese era.

"We are well aware that, post-war, hundreds of thousands of Indian workers have been ousted from estates and turned into urban slum dwellers.

"While there are compelling data to support those statements, there are no compelling data to support statements that the Malaysian police systematically targets Indians.

"The truth is, police misconduct is race-blind in Malaysia. In Malaysia, the response to George Floyd’s death should be a response to police brutality, not a response to (alleged) discrimination against Indians."

Based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Edict is a non-profit, non-political, and non-partisan organisation with the objective of eliminating future deaths and abuse in custody. - Mkini