Suaram calls for inquest into death of drug rehab resident in Kedah

 

Suaram is calling for an inquest into the death of a 31-year-old resident at a drug rehabilitation centre in Kubang Pasu, Kedah.

“Suaram is really concerned about the death in custody that happened to a resident of a drug rehabilitation centre in Kubang Pasu, Kedah.

“The usage of torture to keep discipline in detention or rehabilitation is entirely unacceptable and needs to stop.

“This is an instance where torture went terribly wrong and caused death to an individual. The culture of torture that prevails in our society needs to be tackled on all fronts,” Suaram programme coordinator Mohammad Alshatri Abdullah told Malaysiakini.

Additionally, Alshatri stressed that funds and efforts need to be allocated in hiring and training personnel to effectively handle individuals, rather than to resort to violence and torture.

“Ratifying the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) can be the first step for the government to fulfil its obligation to ensure our society is safe from violence and torture.

“We urge an inquest concerning this death in custody as laid out in the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

“We also demand that the government drafts and tables a Coroner's Act to clarify and strengthen the coroners’ court roles and processes,” Suaram said.

On Nov 5, it was reported that a 31-year-old resident of a drug rehabilitation centre in Kubang Pasu, Kedah, succumbed to injuries reportedly sustained at the hands of a warden who foiled his escape attempt.

A typical drug rehabilitation centre in Malaysia

Harian Metro reported that the 46-year-old warden had allegedly stepped on the victim’s neck and kicked his chest, after placing him in an isolation cell following an attempted escape from the facility around 3am on Nov 4.

The deceased, who was admitted in April for alleged marijuana addiction, had only made it about 1km away from the facility before he was found by the warden, according to Kedah police chief Kamarul Zaman Mamat.

The incident prompted groups such as the Malaysian Awareness Society (Masa) to call on the government to reform its laws before more lives are lost to the system.

Masa vice-president Harish Kumar pointed out that there were three separate but related issues that had been addressed as policies by the Pakatan Harapan government but had not been codified into law.

The first was the legalisation of medical marijuana which has been revived in Parliament.

The second was the decriminalisation of small quantities of drug possessions so that addicts can be treated as patients, not criminals.

The third was the removal of the mandatory death penalty as part of the sentencing under the Dangerous Drugs Act. - Mkini