Anwar: No one should be beaten up because of their race

Ganapathy death: Anwar says no one should be beaten up because of their race

Pakatan Harapan leaders are demanding justice over the alleged custodial death of A Ganapathy.

Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim, in a speech at buka puasa fundraiser last night, said no one should be beaten in lock-up just because of their race.

"We shouldn't be a country, where one race, (because of) perception, they are beaten up time and again in lockup," he said.

Ganapathy, 40, was arrested on Feb 24 to facilitate investigation into a sibling who was wanted by the police.

He was released on March 8 but was admitted to Selayang Hospital's intensive care unit. He reportedly told his mother that police had beaten him with a rubber hose.

While at the hospital, Ganapathy was confirmed to have kidney problems and his legs had to be amputated.

He died at the hospital on April 18. The family's lawyer said an autopsy revealed the death was due to injuries to his legs and shoulders.

Anwar such abuse in custody has been going on for a long time.

"Some people act shocked, like this rarely happens. Podah (get lost).

"I experienced it (got beaten up) in 1998. I don't want anyone else to be abused whether they are Malay, Chinese, Indian, Sabahan, or Sarawakian," he said.

He said police must investigate Ganapathy's death and take action if it was due to a criminal act.

Meanwhile, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng in a statement today demanded that de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan order an inquest into Ganapathy's death.

"It is not rocket science to identify those who were involved in Ganapathy’s injuries, which caused his death while he was under police custody," he said.

In a joint statement, PKR Youth leaders Akmal Nasir, Thiban Subramanaim, and Adrian Kumar Vendargon also backed calls for an inquiry into the death.

Klang MP Charles Santiago said the Attorney-General's Chambers should hold an inquiry to investigate and charge any police officers involved in the death.

"Why torture a suspect to the point of death? The deceased was not charged with any crime.

"This is police abuse of power," he said.

Ganapathy's death in custody has sparked revived calls for the government to set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) pro-tem president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman in a TikTok video on Wednesday, said previous cases of deaths in custody showed how anyone can become victims of police brutality.

If it can happen to them, it can happen to anyone of us.

Push for accountability, transparency, integrity.

Push for IPCMC. #JusticeForGanapathy pic.twitter.com/OyMKZIIW30— Syed Saddiq (@SyedSaddiq) April 28, 2021

The Perikatan Nasional-led government withdrew the IPCMC Bill last year - which was introduced by the preceding Pakatan Harapan government - and replaced it with the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) Bill.

The IPCC Bill prescribes significantly fewer powers, most notably that the IPCC will not be able to take action against errant police personnel and must refer investigation results to the Police Force Commission.