MCA has called on the authorities to provide medical checks on detainees to prevent cases of custodial deaths.

In view of many such cases recently, party deputy secretary-general Wee Jeck Seng said the health screening must be mandatory.

He added that it should be done before the detainees are sent to the lock-up or jail so that their medical condition can be determined beforehand.

"This will also serve to prevent the police from being made scapegoats," he said in a statement today.

In order for the police to regain public trust, Wee said they should provide physical examinations on the detainees, and if found to be in poor health, then the police will take special care of them to prevent further deaths in custody.

"In the long run, a proper mechanism must be setup to ensure that all law enforcement agencies, not only the police, have similar detention procedures in line with human rights standards, so as to prevent such tragedies from occurring over and over again.

"Malaysia is bound to ensuring the basic human rights of its citizens, and it is the responsibility of law enforcement agencies to ensure that the people have access to these rights.

"Any abuse of power by these agencies must be dealt with, and as such the police must be held accountable and be transparent in their investigations into every custodial death as the public has a right to know," he added.
 
Wee also urged the government to take this rise in custodial deaths seriously to prevent further deaths, as well as to gain justice for the deceased.