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©The Sun (Used by permission) 
by S. Tamarai Chelvi

PETALING JAYA (Jan 25, 2008): Suara Rakayat Malaysia (Suaram) today called on the government to conduct an inquest into the death of a man who died in Segamat police custody.

"Police claim that the suspect had died due to a fall in the toilet is just unacceptable. A healthy man cannot just fall in a toilet and die," said Suaram executive director Yap Swee Seng in a statement today.

According to a report in a Chinese daily, Goh Yan Peow and his wife and brother were detained by police in their house in Segamat on Jan 9 under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) for allegedly concealing drugs, bombs, pornographic video materials and fireworks.

On Jan 16, Goh was brought to a magistrate's court in Segamat where police obtained a seven-day remand on Goh.

Segamat OCPD Abdul Majid was quoted as saying Goh was brought back to the Segamat police lock-up on Jan 19. At about 4am, Goh was found unconscious in the detention cell and died after he was sent to hospital. The police told the family that Goh had died from a fall in a toilet.

"Suaram finds the reason given by the police unconvincing and unsatisfactory. Conducting an inquest into the death within a month is most appropriate, as recommended by the Royal Commission on the police force," said Yap.

"The Attorney-General's Chambers inaction for an inquest will only encourage impunity in the police force, as evident in the high number of death in custody cases in 2007, " he said.

Suaram urges Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to keep his promise to reform the police force and heed the recommendations of the Royal Commission, among them the setting up of the Independent Police Complaint and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), a coroner's court and the abolition of the EO.

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