KUALA LUMPUR: The son of inmate Gan Chin Eng, 62, who died on Jan 17, 2025, after allegedly being beaten by Taiping Prison officers, says he feels no closure after the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) issued a scathing report on human rights violations at the prison.
Suhakam said abuses and negligence uncovered during its public inquiry pointed to systemic failures in the prison’s management and administration.
The 20-year-old, who requested anonymity, is a second-year dentistry student.
“We are already at a low point following my father’s death. It can’t go lower than this,” he told Twentytwo13.
“Hopefully, the government will take Suhakam’s findings seriously and bring more officers to justice.
“I have not found any closure at all because only one person has been charged over my father’s death. I will discuss our next move with the lawyers. This feels more like the beginning of the next step.”
The student said he was still coming to terms with his father’s death, 16 months after the incident.
“The family is still in shock over what happened, but life has to go on,” he said.
“I still can’t believe my father is gone, but I’m doing well in my studies and have another three years to complete my course.”
Gan had been remanded at Taiping Prison since 2020 for a drug-related offence.
His case was pending a court hearing when he died. He was among inmates transferred to the Batu Gajah Correctional Facility before being returned to Taiping Prison on Jan 16, 2025, due to overcrowding.
The inmates, many of whom had previously been held at Taiping Prison, refused to be transferred from Hall B to Block E, claiming it was in a dilapidated condition.
This led to tensions with prison officers. On Jan 17, about 60 officers, many dressed in riot gear and equipped with body armour, batons, pepper spray and shields, entered Hall B, where the alleged beatings began.
The Suhakam inquiry on May 25 found Gan’s death constituted a serious violation of human rights and identified several contributing factors:
• Violence against Gan
• Delay in providing medical treatment
• Negligence in providing medical treatment
• Lack of emergency medical facilities
The panel urged the Royal Malaysia Police to conduct separate and transparent investigations into violence committed against detainees and against prison officials alleged to have filed false police reports.
The panel also concluded that officers had provided false testimony during its investigation, and said the Malaysian Prisons Department should take disciplinary action against management-level officers and prison staff found to have violated the Prison Act 1995, Prison Regulations 2000 and departmental procedures.
It also called on the Attorney-General’s Chambers to improve the efficiency and transparency of prosecutorial decisions.
The panel further recommended establishing a Ministry of Justice to coordinate and reassess the criminal justice system, including prosecution, the judiciary and the implementation of sentences, and for the Health Ministry to take action against the prison’s medical officer and assistant.
Meanwhile, Gan’s brother-in-law, S.M. Heng, said the findings provided only partial closure.
“We should not forget that Gan was a remand inmate who had not been proven guilty. To lose his life in such a senseless way is too painful for the family,” said Heng.
“Suhakam’s call for charges to be brought against all prison officials involved in this incident – for abusing inmates, giving false testimony and falsifying reports and records – also included prison medical personnel. I guess it is too far-fetched to expect all of them to be charged.
“The next thing is to watch whether the government will carry out the recommended reforms, which we doubt it will.”
He hoped civil society groups and non-governmental organisations would continue pushing for long-term reforms.
“Otherwise, everything might be forgotten or swept under the carpet,” he said.
Twentytwo13 first reported on the incident on Jan 25 in an article by columnist and criminologist Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy.
On May 26, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said Suhakam’s findings were deeply disturbing and that he would raise the matter at the next Cabinet meeting. He also said the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General must answer for the abuses.
Ramkarpal Singh, Member of Parliament for Bukit Gelugor, also called on the relevant authorities to be more transparent
He added that Suhakam’s report was a timely reminder of the importance of institutional reforms and that the Madani government must take heed of its recommendations if its reform agenda is to be taken seriously.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the Cabinet had yet to discuss Suhakam’s findings, but that the government would study the report before deciding on further action.
The Prisons Department also said it would examine the report to ensure that all matters raised received appropriate attention.
The Health Ministry, meanwhile, said it would investigate the alleged wrongdoing involving its medical personnel.
Its deputy director-general (public health), Dr Ismuni Bohari, said the ministry took the findings seriously and would not compromise on professional negligence, violations of clinical governance or non-compliance with medical practice standards.
