An anguished family wants Human Right Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to interfere with the inquest into the death of an Emergency Ordinance detainee after the Attorney-General Chambers refused to provide more details concerning the death.

suaram johor suhakam death in custody memo 230508 01Human rights NGO Suaram in Johor on behalf of Ng Su Sin - the wife of detainee Goh Yan Peaw - requested for Suhakam's help after submitting a memorandum to them yesterday.

In a statement today, the human rights body urged Suhakam to set up an independent inquiry over Goh's death that occurred under suspicious circumstances.

On Jan 9, Goh was arrested and held under the EO for being in possession of fireworks, drugs, pornography and a pistol.

He was remanded in the Segamat police station until his death, estimated to have occurred on Jan 20.

The official cause of death given by Segamat police chief Supt Abdul Majid Mohd Ali was that Goh ‘died after falling down in the toilet'.

However, the family only found out about his death six hours after it happened. Also pictures from the coroner showed severe injuries to his face and hands as well as bruises on all over his body.

The family subsequently purchased the forensics report which stated that Goh's death was cased by ‘peritonitis' (inflammation of the thin membrane that lines the abdominal wall and covers most of the organs of the body) that was probably caused by ‘a perforated duodenal ulcer'.

The family also adduced a medical report given to by Wellness Laboratories Centre Sdn Bhd to Goh shortly before the arrest, showed he was free of any illness.

Inquest on June 10

suaram johor suhakam death in custody memo 230508 02The Johor prosecutors filed for an inquest into the death to the Segamat magistrates court which is set to begin on June 10.

However, Suaram said the prosecutors informed them that various documents such as the post mortem report, origins of death, health records of the deceased and all investigation reports cannot be made available to Goh's family.

"According to Section 107 A(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code whoever that makes the police report are permitted to acquire the report on the initial investigation into the case.

"(The prosecutors actions) are unreasonable and lacks transparency," they stated.

Commissioner N Siva Subramaniam who met with the family and NGO representatives said Suhakam has no right to interfere with any legal proceedings.

However, he promised to monitor the case and advised the family to seek legal assistance to overcome the technicalities that might arise from the inquest.