Set up IPCMC immediately, protect detainees’ right to access to medicine.
Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy calls on the government to immediately set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to investigate the cause of death of A. Ganapathy, and to overhaul the 1953 Lockup Rules to protect detainees’ right to access to medicine.
The police detained Ganapathy at IPD Gombak on 24 February 2021. His family accused the police of refusing to hand over life-saving medicines for diabetes and heart disease to Ganapathy. He was sent to Selayang Hospital on March 8 and complained of being beaten by the police. On 20 April, Ganapathy died in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
This is not the first time that a detainee complained of being beaten by the police while under detention and denied access to life-saving medicine. Repeated violations of human rights by the police show the failure of the police’s internal disciplinary procedure, therefore the government should not delay the establishment of the IPCMC anymore.
An independent police complaint commission can investigate alleged acts of tortures and inhuman treatment of police officers responsible for custodies, eliminate the culture of impunity among the police, and create a professional police force that respects human rights.
In addition, we urge the government to immediately overhaul the Lockup Rules 1953. New provisions relating to detainees’ rights to access to medicine and penalties must be added.
Medical doctors should be tasked to examine the health status of all detainees, any person with serious disease should not be detained under police custodies, or any enforcement agency’s custodies.
We believe that these measures will be able to protect detainees’ right to health while under detention of the police or any other enforcement agencies.
Ng Yap Hwa
Chairperson
Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy
Photo source : Malaysiakini