KUALA LUMPUR: A Member of Parliament has called for an inquest without further delay over the death of industrial trainee Muhammad Atif Abu Bakar in December 2022.
Petaling MP Lee Chean Chung said the Attorney General's Chambers had indicated that an inquest would be held via a letter dated Nov 17 last year to the lawyers representing Atif's family.
However, Atif’s father Abu Bakar Ja'afar has yet to receive any communication from the authorities about the inquest, Lee told a press conference here on Thursday (Feb 27).
He said the inquest under the Criminal Procedure Code should be conducted immediately as the family must be told of the circumstances of Atif's death.
On Dec 18, 2022, the body of 20-year-old Atif was found in a surau in Mersing, Johor.
A post-mortem determined the cause of death to be traumatic asphyxia, with 53 marks of injury found.
“Atif's family believes that he was beaten to death by persons unknown," Lee said, adding that they initially hoped the police investigation would shed light on the matter.
He said that after waiting for two years, the family had not received any updates from the police and claimed the case had been classified as "no further action" or NFA without a clear explanation given.
Lee added that failure to resolve the case constituted a breakdown in the administration of justice.
The family made a High Court filing in Johor to compel the inquest, but the application was dismissed and the matter is now before the Court of Appeal, he said.
NGOs Eliminating Death and Abuse in Custody Together (Edict) and Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement (TBH-ADA) were also at Thursday's press conference.
