'Son still alive, but whose body is at our house now?'

 

A father in Negeri Sembilan had mourned for several days over the death of his son, whom the authorities said died under custody at the Sungai Buloh Prison last Tuesday (March 2).

He went to claim the body from the Sungai Buloh Hospital, prepared for funeral rites at the family home in Tampin and planned to bury the remains of his son yesterday.

However, to his family's surprise, they were informed just a few hours before the burial was supposed to take place that the 19-year-old boy was still alive.

"We received a call from the prison authority about three or four hours before the burial time - and they informed us that my son was still alive.

"They did a video call (to show). I do not know how to even express my feelings. Our son is still alive, but whose body is at our house now?" the father, who only wanted to be identified as Chantren, was quoted as saying by the Malay daily Sinar Harian.

According to Chantren, 45, the family's ordeal started when he received a call from the prison authority last Wednesday, saying that his son had died in jail.

However, he did not know why the youth was held in the prison.

Chantren said he was then told to claim his son's remains at the Sungai Buloh Hospital, which he did together with several other family members.

"When we looked (at the remains), we noticed that the face was different after post-mortem because there were suture marks, besides the hair had also been shaved," he reportedly told reporters when met at his house in Taman Desa Permai.

According to the father, the prison authority had since gone to his house and collected the body and he has also requested to meet his son in prison. - Mkini