KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has issued a scathing report on human rights violations at Taiping Prison, describing the abuses and negligence uncovered during its public inquiry as evidence of systemic failures within the prison’s management and administration.
Announcing its findings today, Suhakam said the failures extended beyond individual misconduct and reflected deep-rooted weaknesses involving the prison system and several government agencies.
The Public Inquiry Panel also found that the death of inmate Gan Chin Eng on Jan 17, 2025, constituted a serious violation of human rights and identified several factors that contributed to his death:
• Violence against Gan
• Delay in providing medical treatment
• Negligence in the provision of medical treatment, and
• Lack of emergency medical facilities
The panel urged the Royal Malaysia Police to conduct separate and transparent investigations into violence committed against detainees, noting that previous investigations had focused solely on Gan’s death.
“The Public Inquiry Panel also recommends the establishment of a Ministry of Justice tasked with coordinating and reassessing the entire criminal justice chain, encompassing prosecution, the judiciary and the implementation of sentences,” said Suhakam chairman Datuk Seri Hishamudin Yunus, who headed the inquiry panel.
“We also call on the Attorney-General’s Chambers to improve the efficiency and transparency of prosecutorial decisions, warning that delays in cases involving public officials risk undermining public confidence in the justice system.”
The panel also recommended investigations into acts of violence allegedly committed by prison officers against detainees, as well as false police reports allegedly lodged by prison management and officers following the Jan 17, 2025, incident that resulted in Gan’s death.
Hishamudin said action should also be taken against prison officials who provided false testimony during the inquiry.
“The Malaysian Prison Department must take immediate disciplinary action against management-level officers and prison staff found to have violated the Prison Act 1995, Prison Regulations 2000 and departmental procedures,” he said.
He added that the Health Ministry and the Malaysian Medical Council should conduct a comprehensive investigation and take appropriate disciplinary action against the medical officer and assistant medical officer at Taiping Prison over negligence and breaches of professional ethics and responsibilities.
Suhakam’s Public Inquiry Panel has recommended the closure of Taiping Prison, built in 1879, citing heritage restrictions that limit structural changes and make it unsafe for housing inmates.
The panel also recommended the closure of Taiping Prison, which was built in 1879 and gazetted as a heritage building.
“The Public Inquiry Panel recommends that the government construct a new prison at another site, given that restoration works on the existing building would be costly, impractical and uneconomical,” said Hishamudin.
“This also takes into account Taiping Prison’s status as a heritage building, which limits structural modifications and renders it no longer safe for housing prisoners.
“Pending the construction of a new prison at a suitable site, the government should allocate sufficient funding to repair damaged and unsafe detention blocks, as recommended by the Public Works Department, and ensure the regular maintenance of buildings and CCTV systems.”
In addressing infrastructure concerns, the panel recommended abolishing the use of the “bucket system” in prisons, describing it as degrading and contrary to human rights principles.
The report also called for improvements in prison management, including regular training on standard operating procedures, emergency healthcare, human rights standards, emotional control and the proper use of force.
Healthcare within prisons also came under scrutiny. The panel recommended that prison medical officers operate independently under the supervision of the Health Ministry rather than prison authorities to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure professional accountability.
The panel also renewed calls for Malaysia to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) and enact specific anti-torture legislation criminalising cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.
In addition, the inquiry recommended strengthening Suhakam’s statutory powers by allowing unrestricted access to detention facilities and official documents without prior notice, enabling the commission to carry out monitoring and investigations more effectively.
Lawyer T. Shashi Devan, who represents Gan’s family and other inmates, commended the panel and its findings.
“They have considered our submissions, as well as those of the Bar and the Prisons Department. They have addressed every issue that we felt needed to be raised.
“Even in their 80-page summary, they have made some very strong recommendations and findings, for which I must commend them,” he said after the findings were delivered.
“It was not an easy task, bearing in mind that during the course of the inquiry there were efforts to obstruct and, for want of a better word, twist and manipulate the facts surrounding what transpired.
“Against that background, I think Suhakam has done a thorough job and addressed all the issues.”
The findings stem from Suhakam’s public inquiry into Gan’s death, who reportedly suffered abdominal injuries caused by blunt trauma before dying after being taken to Taiping Hospital.
The public hearings were held at the Kamunting Correctional Centre in Taiping, Perak, and Suhakam’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur between June 9 and Sept 22. A total of 50 witnesses testified.
Twentytwo13 was the first to report the incident at Taiping Prison that led to Gan’s death. He reportedly sustained abdominal injuries caused by blunt trauma and died after being rushed to Taiping Hospital.
Suhakam’s assisting inquiry officers, Simon Karunagaram and Mohd Faiz Abdul Rahman, led the inquiry, while lawyers T. Shashi Devan and Yoges M. Verasuntharam represented the families of 99 detainees, including Gan’s.
The Prisons Department was represented by Amirah Abdul Razak, while Andrew Khoo of the Malaysian Bar held a watching brief.
On Dec 19, 2025, prison warden Ryndee O’Nel Victor, 25, was charged with causing Gan’s death. He claimed trial under Section 304(b) of the Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder at the Taiping Magistrate’s Court.
