KUALA LUMPUR — The government must take seriously a report by the national human rights body on the January 2025 assault of inmates at Taiping Prison by their wardens and explain why only one officer has been charged, a backbencher said.
Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh said Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s (Suhakam) inquiry into the incident found that several inmates them sustained severe injuries including broken rib cages and ruptured ear drums, while one inmate - Gan Chin Eng - died from injuries linked to blunt force trauma.
Only one officer has been charged over Gan’s death, raising serious questions over why only limited action has been taken against officers involved despite medical evidence and witness accounts detailing widespread assaults on inmates, he said.
“It is pertinent to note that the inmates were not aggressive according to the report which indicates that the attacks upon them were unprovoked and there can be no doubt that answers must be given as to why no action has been taken against the perpetrators to date,” Ramkarpal said in a statement on Facebook.
“Immediate answers must be forthcoming on various issues, including but not limited to, why other prison officers have not been charged to date for the serious assaults on the inmates in this incident, why no action has been taken to date against those responsible for lodging false reports, why no action has been taken against those responsible for the destruction of evidence in the case and why no disciplinary action has been taken against the officers concerned to date,” the DAP lawmaker added.
Prison warden Ryndee O’Nel Victor, 25, was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and is the only officer charged in relation to the violence that occurred on January 17, 2025 in which more than 60 masked and armed officers allegedly assaulted around 100 prisoners.
The inmates had staged a peaceful sit-in to protest their transfer to another block in the prison which was reputed to be in poor condition.
Ramkarpal, who chairs DAP’s legal bureau, said the incident showed the broader issue of prison overcrowding which he urged the government to urgently address.
He cited figures provided by Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah in Parliament last November, that prisons nationwide were holding more than 84,000 inmates despite having a maximum capacity of 76,000.
The incident also raised issues of prison reform, transparency and the competency of the police, Prison Department, and Attorney-General’s Chambers, as there were complaints of red tape and bureaucracy in the investigation, Ramkarpal added.
Suhakam released its report on a public inquiry it conducted into the Taiping Prison violence two days ago, calling for action against other officers involved.
Yesterday, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, also from DAP, said the report showed the “systemic failure” of accountability in the prisons system, and demanded immediate action as well as greater transparency. - May 27, 2026
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