Home Minister: Mere 'perception' on high number of custodial deaths

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today said that there were "only two" cases of deaths in custody where policemen were allegedly involved.

He said that the allegation that there were many deaths by police brutality, and that it was racial, was only a 'perception'.

"The racism arugment is just a perception. There's only two cases (where police were suspected to be involved). In this issue...the perception must change. Are these caused by brutality?"

Promising to be serious and always committed to stop death in custody, Zahid stressed: "we will not compromise or protect police officers who use violence that cause injury or death."

He said that since 2000 till 2013 May, there have been a total 231 cases.

"A total of 196 was caused by sicknesses. These include HIV,asthma, heart attack. 29 was because of suicide, two because they fought among themsleves, two slipped in lock up, two suspected injured by police."

These two cases are unstood to be that of A Kugan in 2009 and N Dhamendran recently.

Of those, he said, 97 were Malay, 49 Chinese, 51 Indians, 25 foreigners and nine others.

On whether the government will set up the IPCMC, Zahid said that the current Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission will continue as it "is not just for police."