Death behind bars: Police question Taiping prison officers and inmates over assault

TAIPING, Jan 27 — Police have recorded statements from two Taiping Prison officers and 80 inmates in connection with the death of an inmate due to being allegedly assaulted by prison wardens.

Perak acting police chief, DCP Zulkafli Sariaat said the authorities received a report on the Jan 17 incident and have initiated an investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

“As of now, no arrests have been made. A transparent investigation into the inmate’s death is ongoing and we are also examining the cause of death,” he told reporters after launching a Chinese New Year 2025 road safety campaign at the South Taiping Toll Plaza on the West Coast Expressway today.

Earlier, the family of the deceased inmate gathered outside Taiping Prison, calling for a fair and thorough investigation to uncover the truth.

The inmate’s son, identified only as Gan, 20, expressed doubts about the circumstances of his father’s death, citing discrepancies revealed in the autopsy report issued by Taiping Hospital.

“They (prison staff) contacted my family around 6.00pm on January 17, informing us that my father had been sent to the hospital emergency unit due to breathing difficulties,” he said.

“Unfortunately, he could not be saved. The hospital’s autopsy report disclosed that my father had sustained abdominal injuries caused by a blunt object,” he added.

Gan, the youngest of three siblings, said the last time he saw his father was four months ago before his father was transferred from the Batu Gajah Correctional Centre to Taiping Prison on January 16 for a drug possession offence.

Meanwhile, Parti Bersepakat Hak Rakyat Malaysia (URIMAI) interim chairman, P. Ramasamy, who was present outside the prison, claimed that the incident not only involved the death of the inmate but also allegations of over 100 remand inmates being assaulted.

“We received this information from the families of those affected. Some inmates reportedly sustained head and body injuries during the incident,” he said.

“Although these inmates are on remand for various offences, it does not grant anyone the licence to act in such excessive or unjustified manner,” he added. — Bernama