70 custodial deaths in two years

 

PARLIAMENT | There were 70 deaths in custody involving detainees held by the police between 2021 and 2022, the Dewan Rakyat was told.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution said there were 46 cases in 2021 and 24 cases in 2022.

Saifuddin said this in a written reply to Zahari Kechik (PN-Jeli), who sought the statistics as well as an explanation on the efforts by the government to curb custodial deaths.

According to the minister, he said the government was preparing "comprehensive" amendments to the Lock-up Rules 1953 to improve safeguards on the rights of detainees.

"The police are also studying a proposal to place 'hospital or custody' reminder stickers in police vehicles as a reminder to send injured or sick detainees to the hospital for treatment.

"This 'hospital or custody' reminder is practised in the UK," he said.

He said the police have also set up five custodial health units at centralised police detention centres in Shah Alam, Jinjang, Indera Mahkota, Bayan Baru and Kota Kinabalu.

He said the police are also adding new CCTVs to detention centres and conducting periodic inspections to ensure that detention rules were adhered to. - Mkini