Cheras custodial death: Family takes plea to PM’s doorstep, seeks transparent probe

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — The family of Noorizwan Zulkefly, who died earlier this month while under the custody of the Cheras district police, brought their fight for justice directly to the prime minister’s doorstep this morning, demanding an independent and transparent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death.

Accompanied by legal counsel from rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), the 42-year-old deceased’s family arrived at Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s private residence in Bandar Sungai Long, gathering at the entrance before security personnel ushered them into the compound to deliver a formal protest memorandum to the prime minister’s representative, NST reported.

The memorandum, handed over by Noorizwan’s younger brother Nooranis Zulkefly, expressed profound alarm over unexplained physical injuries documented during the post-mortem examination, urging Putrajaya to intervene directly to prevent an institutional cover-up.

Pathologists at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) in Cheras confirmed that while the post-mortem detected no structural trauma to internal organs, Noorizwan’s body bore multiple external contusions and injuries.

The formal medical cause of death remains uncertified and has been officially recorded as “pending laboratory analysis” while the Chemistry Department conducts specialised toxicological and histopathological tests.

Noorizwan was arrested by Cheras police personnel on Sept 19 under Section 39A(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, along with allegations of burglary and theft under the Penal Code.

Following 11 days in police lock-up, his physical condition deteriorated sharply, prompting authorities to transfer him to HCTM on Sept 30, where medical staff pronounced him dead in the early hours of Oct 1.

The family’s petition follows public remarks by Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus, who defended the custodial administration by insisting officers followed standard operating procedures to the letter before the detainee took ill.

Fadil had publicly noted that Noorizwan held 44 prior criminal records, mainly related to narcotics and property theft, and had confessed to multiple break-ins in the Cheras district.

Bukit Aman’s specialised Criminal Investigation and Deaths in Custody Unit (USJKT) has since expanded its internal affairs investigation, questioning 78 witnesses ranging from police personnel and medical specialists to legal aid representatives and the victim’s immediate family.