KUALA LUMPUR: Police are still awaiting the full report from the Chemistry Department and pathology findings to determine the cause of a man's death in custody on Oct 1.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said the detainee, a local man in his 40s, died at 1.52am while receiving treatment at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM).
"The detainee was taken to hospital after he was reported to be unwell but died while receiving treatment.
"The cause of death has yet to be determined, and we are still waiting for the full report from the Chemistry Department.
"We hope everyone will be patient and wait for the official pathology findings," he said at a press conference today.
He said the case had been classified as sudden death (SDR), while the investigation was being handled by the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Unit for Deaths in Custody, with the cooperation of the Integrity and Standards Compliance Department.
He said the investigation was also examining all evidence to determine whether there had been any misconduct or breach of standard operating procedures (SOPs) in handling the detainee.
Asked whether detention procedures had been followed in the case, Fadil confirmed that they had.
However, he said the Bukit Aman investigation was ongoing to establish the cause of death and examine the possibility of misconduct or SOP violations.
He said the man had a record of 44 criminal offences, including 18 drug-related cases.
He said the man was arrested following three police reports against him, involving one drug-related case and two criminal cases.
"In the drug case, investigated under Section 39A(1) and Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, the deputy public prosecutor decided on Sept 22 that no further action would be taken.
"This decision was made after investigations found that the man had no control over or possession of the seized drugs.
"In the second case, investigated under Section 457 of the Penal Code, police obtained positive fingerprint evidence at the scene," he said.
However, Fadil said the deputy public prosecutor had directed on Oct 1 that the man be charged under Section 448 of the Penal Code.
A decision to take no further action was made on Oct 6 following the man's death.
In the third case, involving the theft of a Buddha statue and investigated under Section 379 of the Penal Code, a decision to take no further action was also made on Oct 8 for the same reason.
Fadil urged all parties not to speculate about the man's death while awaiting the outcome of Bukit Aman's full investigation.
He said police needed sufficient time and space to conduct a detailed and thorough investigation, taking all relevant evidence into account.
"The spread of unverified information could not only confuse but also create concern and anxiety among the public.
"We also welcome any information from the public related to this case, should they have additional details to share with the police," he said.
Previously, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) called on police to investigate the death of Noorizwan Zulkefly, 42, as a murder following allegations that the man had sustained serious injuries.
The family's lawyer, N Surendran, claimed at a press conference on Oct 7 that the family had been informed of injuries to several parts of the deceased's body, including his head and ribs.
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