By Pappa Raidu Veraman
WE all know about the untimely demise of George Floyd in the US at the hands of police officers. The tragedy triggered massive demonstrations not only in the country but across the world.
Since then, Floyd’s family had been compensated with US$27 mil by the city of Minneapolis. US President Joe Biden sought forgiveness for the police’s criminal act by kneeling down in front of Floyd’s son.
This incident proved that everyone deserves treated equally in that nation. The very background or the status of a person does not matter when you are dealing with another person, as we all are human beings.
Malaysia on the other hand, we are still waiting for the time when the authorities would seek forgiveness from those who were wronged. How many people have died while being detained by the authorities?
To name a few, S Balamurugan, P Karuna Nithi, N Dharmendran and many others have died in police custody before they had their day in court.
Sadly, only one out of four cases are publicised, with majority of the reports highlighting the fact that the victims were mostly from the Indian community.
Overall, there were 257 deaths in police custody between 2002 and 2016, according to official statistics provided by the Home Ministry in a Parliamentary reply on March 28, 2017.
Treat people with respect, dignity
However, based on human rights NGO Suaram’s data, only 62 of these cases were reported in the media.
Remember the late Teo Beng Hock, 30, an aide of Selangor state executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah. He plunged to his death at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Selangor headquarters in Shah Alam, after allegedly being interrogated using harsh tactics.
When will our authorities respect fundamental liberties and rights of citizens? This is one out of the several questions that I have for our Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
How much compensation are you going to pay the families of those who died in custody? And dear Prime Minister, when are going to face their families to seek forgiveness?
Last but not the least, when will Malaysians be given equal rights, as guaranteed under the Federal Constitution? – April 15, 2021
Pappa Raidu Veraman is the founder of an NGO, the Malaysian Indian Voice.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
