PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Bar has called on Putrajaya to set up medical units at detention centres throughout the country to prevent custodial deaths.
Its president Salim Bashir also said an independent external organisation was needed to investigate all deaths in custody.
“It is our view that external civilian oversight system will complement and create accountability for detention authorities,” he said in a statement.
The call comes after the Shah Alam coroner’s court ruled yesterday that police were responsible for the death of 38-year-old Thanabalan Subramaniam, who died in police custody in 2018.
Lawyer M Visvanathan had said the coroner ruled that it was police negligence that had led to his death.
The lawyer said Thanabalan was found to have come down with leptospirosis as a result of being exposed to rat urine. He said Thanabalan’s condition then deteriorated due to his heart disease.
Bashir said today the law imposed a duty on the custodial officer to ensure the health and safety of the person in custody.
“Detention authorities must ensure that medical treatment is available to all suspects, especially those with health risks and pre-existing conditions,” he added.
The Malaysian Bar also called on detention authorities to ensure proper sanitation in lockups and to make basic amenities accessible in all places of detention.
It also hopes that a thorough and extensive probe will be conducted to bring those responsible for the death of Thanabalan to justice.