29yo Malaysian Dies After Illnesses Were Allegedly Ignored While in Police Custody

Almost a month after the death of 36-year-old Umar Faruq bin Abdullah @Hemanathan, another Malaysian has allegedly died in police custody.

This marks the fifth custodial death in Malaysia for 2021.

Lawyer and politician, Manoharan Malayalam, took to his Facebook page to share the saddening news and call for the authorities’ resignation and sacking.

He wrote, “Mohd Iqbal Bin Abdullah (29-years-old) allegedly died at 8.30am on 28 June at the Tanjung Karang Hospital after being brought there for treatment by the Sungai Buloh Prison authorities. I call upon the Director-General of the Prison to resign immediately, for the alleged inhumane treatment by the prison authorities, ever since Mohd Iqbal has been in their custody from 28 September 2020.”

He also shared that Iqbal’s initial arrest may have been wrongful.

“I also call upon the immediate sacking of the Investigating Officer from IPD Gombak, for wrongful arrest and charging the deceased for a murder charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code and a couple of other charges which alleged offences, according to his wife, were trumped up by the police and which he did not commit,”

“I also call upon the Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimum to look into murder cases pending in court which has been unnecessarily postponed on the request by DPPs on flimsy grounds.”

According to Mohd Iqbal’s wife, he and his two brothers were arrested and charged in September 2020, and his two brothers are currently in the Pokok Sena Prison in Kedah.

While Mohd Iqbal has been suffering from a number of illnesses, the authorities were allegedly unbothered by this.

“Mohd Iqbal’s cases in court have been postponed and postponed and he had been kept under remand since in the Sungai Buloh Prison as he was denied bail.”

The victim leaves behind his wife, 27-year-old Nursyamsiah, and his two daughters, aged five and one and a half.

“Total blatant neglect and inhumane treatment by the authorities in power is the cause of Mohd Iqbal’s death while under the custody of the prison authorities compounded by and as a result of the incompetent police force,” said Manoharan.

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