KUALA LUMPUR: The government is considering allowing Members of Parliament to view CCTV footage of the Taiping Prison incident that led to the death of detainee Gan Chin Eng, as the Health Ministry investigates allegations involving medical officers.
Deputy Law and Institutional Reform Minister M. Kulasegaran said MPs should, in principle, have access to relevant information to perform their oversight role, although legal issues must first be addressed.
"The government has taken note that in principle, MPs should be given access to appropriate information to enable them to carry out their checks and balances function.
“The proposal must first be reviewed by the relevant authorities including from the perspective of legal implications, such as sub judice issues and ongoing cases, as well as any other related considerations first," he told the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (July 8).
Kulasegaran, who was winding up the debate on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) 2024 annual report, added that the recording was no longer a secret and expressed hope that the Cabinet will make a decision as soon as possible.
He also said the government is studying a proposal to grant Suhakam immediate access to detention facilities upon learning of similar cases in the future, noting that precedence for such a law had already been implemented in countries like the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib said the Ministry had established a Special Investigation Committee on June 3 following allegations involving medical officers linked to the January 2025 prison death.
She assured the public that the Ministry would not compromise on any uncovered misconduct or violation of professional ethics by any health officer involved in the case.
"The ministry is also coordinating all health service delivery in prison institutions through ongoing discussions and engagement with the Prisons Department to overcome identified technical health issues and strengthen governance," she said.
