Welder’s family wants answers over alleged death in police custody

Syed Mohd Azlan had reportedly left his home in Teluk Ramunia at 9pm the day before his death on Nov 3.

KUALA LUMPUR: The family of a welder from Pengerang, Johor is demanding answers after the 25-year-old allegedly died in custody at the Sungai Renggit police station on Nov 3. 

Syed Mohd Azlan Syed Mohamed Nur had reportedly left his home in Teluk Ramunia at 9pm the day before to buy pants.

Hours later, his father Syed Mohamed Nur Ali was awakened by bangs on the door from policemen, who allegedly searched and rifled through his home without offering an explanation to the 64-year-old.

“They sat me down and asked for my shotgun. I do have a registered shotgun and I showed it to them. Only then, I was told that my son has been arrested.

“They said that I had to come with them to the station and bring asthma medicine because my son was having difficulty in breathing.

"For as long as I’ve raised my son, he has never had asthma. He has never been sick,” Syed Mohamed Nur claimed.

At the Sungai Renggit station, he was placed in a room, which was next to the room his son was questioned in.

Syed Mohamed Nur claimed that police hinted that his son had been arrested over his shotgun.

He was sent home without getting a chance to meet his son. That afternoon, investigators questioned Syed Mohamed Nur again at his home about his gun, and later notified him of his son’s death. 

He claimed that the right side of his son’s face had a large swell and his body was covered in bruises and puncture marks. 

A post-mortem revealed that Syed Mohd Azlan died of blunt force trauma to the chest at about 7.30am on Nov 3. 

Until now, no explanation on his son's death has been given, claimed Syed Mohamed Nur’s lawyer Gobind Singh Deo. 

Gobind, who is also Puchong MP, gave Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar 14 days to issue an explanation over Syed Mohd Azlan’s death or he would request the Attorney-General’s Chambers to conduct an inquiry into the matter, on top of possible civil action, which the family of the deceased was mulling over. 

“He (Syed Mohd Azlan) was arrested and detained by the police and died in their custody. They must now explain. They cannot remain silent and leave the family in the dark over the loss of their son,” Gobind told reporters on Monday.

He pointed out that under Section 334 of the Criminal Procedure Code, authorities should immediately give intimation of deaths in police custody to the nearest magistrate, so that an inquiry could be held. 

When contacted, Khalid declined to comment, saying that the matter would be addressed by Johor police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff.