A year has passed since Chang Chin Te was found dead in the USJ8 Subang Jaya police lock-up but there is still no inquest into his death, claimed human rights watchdog Suaram.

According to Suaram coordinator R Thevrajan, this is despite the family finding traces of bruises, swelling and wounds on his body.

Furthermore, he added, Section 334 and 337 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) states that an inquiry needs to be held by a magistrate in the case of death in police custody to determine the cause of death and criminal culpability.

"Although it was reported that the family of the deceased gave up on pursuing further on the cause of his death, does the government wash its hands too on the case?

"How can the government ignore a death under its law enforcement agency without any investigation or inquest to establish the cause of his death in accordance to the law?" he said.

This lackadaisical attitude towards deaths in custody, Thevrajan said, is why there is an urgent need for a permanent and independent coroner's court to conduct inquests.

"Suaram calls on Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to walk the talk and establish a permanent coroner's court as soon as possible," he said.

Last year, Ahmad Zahid and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of law Nancy Shukri said that the government will set up a permanent coroner's court.

This was in response to a spate of deaths in police custody including N Dharmendran, who was found badly bruised and with staples on his ears and ankles.

Nancy last June said the court will be set up as soon as possible as the formation of the courts do not need changes to the law and the cabinet has already given the green light.

She reportedly said that the first courts will be set up in the Federal Territories and Selangor, due to the higher number of deaths in custody there in the last year.

She said the Health Ministry will work with the courts as each court will be aided by a forensic medical expert.