New unit set up to investigate deaths in custody

KUALA LUMPUR: A 14-man unit will be in charge of all probes into deaths in custody and lock-ups from next year as part of a move to enhance the image and integrity of the police force following complaints.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said the Death in Custody Investigations Unit would be headed by a police superintendent and would begin investigating all deaths in police custody that occur on Jan 1 onwards.

He said the decision to set up this unit, which is under the Federal Police’s Integrity and Standards Compliance Department, followed a number of complaints about deaths in custody.

“This will also enhance the image and integrity of the police force.

“The unit will focus on conducting transparent criminal investigation, standard operating procedure compliance and identifying elements of negligence,” he said after launching the enhancement of General Operations Forces (GOF) posts capabilities here yesterday.

Hamzah also said deaths in custody and lock-ups were not race-related.

“From 2015 to 2021, a total of 42 Malays, 15 Indians and 13 Chinese had died in lock-ups.

“These statistics show that there is no element of race involved.

“A number of these cases occurred due to unavoidable factors such as prior illnesses,” he said.

On a separate matter, Hamzah said the Home Ministry was holding discussions with the Finance Ministry to appoint panel doctors among private practitioners to enable individuals detained by the police to be referred immediately to a private clinic.

“If we follow the existing standard operating procedure, we have to wait for a doctor or medical officer to be sent by the Health Ministry, which will take a long time.“If the services of a panel doctor are allowed, then a detainee can be immediately referred to the panel for the health screening process to find out the current health status of the detainee before being taken to the lock-up,” he added.

He also said Bukit Aman would be enhancing the functions of nearly a dozen GOF posts in Sabah and Sarawak. These posts would function as police stations for ease of access to those living in rural areas.

He said as a start, there would be nine posts in Sabah and two in Sarawak.

“If the initiative is a success, we will expand it nationwide,” he said, adding that this would be carried out immediately.

The launch was part of the Keluarga Malaysia 100 Days Aspirations.