Custodial deaths of two Navy men reclassified as murder

IPOH: The incident where two Royal Malaysian Navy personnel died in a detention room in Sungai Wangi, Sitiawan on Friday afternoon is now a murder case.

Perak CID Chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Gan Tian Kee said a post-mortem conducted on Nik Muhammad Baihaqy Nik Mat, 28, and Muhammad Lailatulman Mohd Sukri, 26, at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital mortuary here found that there were signs of abuse and injuries on their bodies.

"The post-mortem report we received on Saturday for Nik Muhammad Baihaqy showed that he died due to bleeding in the lungs caused by blunt force trauma.

"The cause of death for Muhammad Laila Tuiman was also due to bleeding in the lungs and blunt force trauma on the soft tissue," SAC Gan said in a statement on Saturday night.

"We will now reclassify the case as murder," he said.

The case was initially classified as sudden death.

Both were said to have died after complaining of exhaustion while carrying out physical training.

In a statement issued earlier, SAC Gan said Nik Muhammad Baihaqy was to be detained by the Navy for 45 days, starting on Thursday.

"He was alleged to have skipped his duties and was suspected of drug usage.

"Muhammad Lailal Tuiman was also being detained for not reporting for duty without consent," SAC Gan said.

"He was to be held temporarily before being transferred to Kuala Lumpur for further action," he added.

SAC Gan said police have arrested three men, aged 29, 37 and 44, based on the latest information on Saturday at 9.30pm.

"All three who were arrested were working on Friday between 10am and 10pm.

"They will be remanded to assist investigations," he said, adding that police also recorded statements from several people, including the holding cell guards who were on duty during the incident.

"We have also seized a CCTV set, seven batons, one duty log book, a standard operating procedure book and several mobile phones," he added.