MIC to raise issue of custodial deaths at Cabinet meeting

Malaysia's largest ethnic Indian party today said it will raise the issue of custodial deaths of community members at a Cabinet meeting tomorrow and would ask the government to take firm action against the policemen involved.
The recent issue of deaths of ethnic Indians in police custody, would be raised by at the Cabinet meeting tomorrow, the strategic director of Malaysian Indian Congress S Vell Paari said.
This was decided after ethnic Indian NGOs met a minister in the Prime Minister's department expressing concern over the recent death of detainees in jails.
There have been eight deaths in police custody this year, including the latest case involving 42-year-old P Karuna Nithi who died last Saturday.

Vell Paari said the death in custody issue, which has irked the minority ethnic Indian community, was discussed at great length at the meeting.
"The people are unhappy and angry over this issue and want to see actions taken. They want a firm action taken by charging the policemen involved to show the seriousness of the government," he said.

He said they made it clear that the death custody issue was not an ethnic Indian issue but was also a national issue.
Vell Paari said that he would also ask the two MIC ministers, Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel and Health Minister S Subramaniam to speak on the issue in the Cabinet.

People's Welfare and Rights Association president S Gobi Krishnan said based on police statistics, there were deaths of 64 Malays, 30 Chinese and 28 Indians in police custody between 2000 and 2010.
Vell Paari said the Indian NGOs have decided to postpone the street rally to protest the custodial deaths pending response from the government.