Alor Setar MP Gooi Hsiao Leung has slammed the police for denying that three of its staff allegedly abused a local contractor in a lock-up in Kubang Pasu, rendering him invalid.

Gooi said police had concluded probing the case with "lightning speed" to say that Zul Hilmi Abdul Rahman was not beaten up while in custody on Dec 12.

The 32-year-old had claimed that he was beaten for two hours, twice - for 18 and 16 times, respectively - on the feet, testicles and shoulder - resulting in him undergoing surgery after he was released on police bail on Dec 23.

When met in his house in Alor Setar on Wednesday, Zul Hilmi lamented that he is no longer able to work or live normally, and may not even be able to have children.

"First and foremost, I must praise the Kubang Pasu police department for having wrapped up its investigations at lightning speed, in finding that Zul Hilmi (right) was not beaten up whilst in police custody," Gooi said, in a press conference in Alor Setar today.

"However, there are several glaring unsatisfactory aspects of the police investigations, which seemed to have been left out in Zul Hilmi’s case," he added.

Gooi said he found it troubling that in wrapping up their investigations, police never bothered to interview Zul Hilmi, considering he is the alleged victim of police brutality.

"This is the most basic standard procedure of any investigation to take a written statement from the victim, as he would be able to relate the circumstances in which he was assaulted and identify the culprits who had assaulted him," Gooi noted.

He was responding to Kubang Pasu district police chief superintendent Ibrahim Mohd Yusoff who said that medical examinations - which were carried out following the report filed by the suspect's wife, Nur Adzleen Othaman, on Dec 12 last year - showed no sign of assault on Zul Hilmi's body.

Ibrahim said it is not true that police did not record Zul Hilmi's statement, adding that it was taken the following day after Nur Adzleen's report on Dec 12 and police carried out investigations under Section 323 for causing hurt.

‘All statements recorded’

Ibrahim also stressed that police had recorded statements from all personnel involved in the case.

He issued the statement in a press conference at Kubang Pasu district police headquarters on Jan 23.

Zul Hilmi had shown up at the police station to assist in a rape and extortion case under Section 376 and Section 384 of the Penal Code on Dec 11, but was detained as a rape suspect the next day.

Gooi (left) also demanded that the police disclose the identity of the so-called investigating officer who had purportedly examined and found no bruises on Zul Hilmi.

The lawyer added that according to Zul Hilmi, he was never physically examined by any police officer, except for the same one who had arrested and assaulted him.

The same officer had also reportedly taken him to the Jitra Hospital on Dec 12 after his wife had lodged a police report on the same day.

Gooi said Zul Hilmi’s wife has still not been furnished with her husband’s medical report from Jitra Hospital, which she had applied for more than three weeks ago.  

"It is perplexing that all four family members of Zul Hilmi (his wife, his brother, and parents) who visited him at the police lock-up all positively confirmed that they saw bruises on his body," said Gooi.

"There is also the question of why no statements were taken by the police from Zul Hilmi’s family members, including his wife, especially after she had made a second police report on the matter on Dec 27," he added.

Nur Adzleen had said she made the report after her husband - who had contracted a serious life-threatening infection to his groin area while in police custody - was admitted into the Alor Setar General Hospital.

"In the meantime, I will make an appointment for Zul Hilmi’s wife to see the police chief of Kedah to review her husband’s case, who is currently still bed-ridden and recovering at home," Gooi said.