PETALING JAYA: The family of a prison inmate has urged the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to investigate Taiping Hospital and Taiping prison over the circumstances surrounding his death.
Sisiliya Joseph, the sister of M Vijian, alleged that authorities concealed the injuries he sustained during a prison riot last month.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});She claimed that Vijian was beaten by wardens, resulting in two broken ribs, but was not given proper medical treatment.
“We want justice for my brother’s death, and we request Suhakam to investigate this case and take action against those responsible.
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Sisiliya said Vijian was admitted to the hospital on Jan 24 and died on Feb 15.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“On Jan 24, we received a call from the hospital that my brother had been admitted and was in a serious condition.
“Upon arrival, a warden told us that Vijian suffered from shortness of breath, vomited blood, and fainted during breakfast. Later, a doctor informed us the hospital suspected that he had tuberculosis.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“However, my brother was sent to a normal ward with other patients,” she said.
She said that subsequent tests confirmed that Vijian did not have TB but suffered from severe bacterial infection in his lungs and kidneys.
“They had been administering TB medication for my brother since he was admitted to the hospital until the test results. That was a mistake,” she claimed.
The family were unhappy with the explanation that bacterial infection was the cause of death and requested that an autopsy be performed.
The post-mortem results from Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital revealed that Vijian had minor kidney infection but suffered two broken ribs.
“The prison did not tell us anything about it (the broken ribs allegedly sustained in custody).
“The Taiping Hospital also did not tell us about the two broken ribs although they took eight X-rays of him,” she said.
It was previously reported that 60 prison wardens had allegedly assaulted more than 100 prisoners in Taiping prison in January, leading to the death of one inmate.
The families of the victims had lodged reports, claiming that they were barred from visiting the detainees, with the prison saying the inmates were undergoing quarantine.
Perak police have recorded statements from 82 individuals, including prison officers and inmates, as part of their investigation into the incident. Bukit Aman has now taken over the investigation.