Credit : PDRM
KUALA LUMPUR, October 24, 2026 — The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) are investigating the sudden death of a 42-year-old Malay man who died while in police custody after being arrested by officers from the Cheras District Police Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur last month.
In a media statement issued at 7am today, PDRM’s Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS) Director, Commissioner of Police Datuk Aida Abdul Hamid, said the man was arrested on September 19, 2026 in connection with cases being investigated under Section 39A(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, as well as Section 457 and Section 379 of the Penal Code. Section 39A of the Dangerous Drugs Act deals with the possession of dangerous drugs, while Sections 457 and 379 of the Penal Code cover house-breaking by night and theft respectively.
According to the statement, the man was referred to Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM (HCTM) in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, on September 30, 2026 to receive treatment, 11 days after he was first arrested. He was given initial treatment by doctors but was confirmed dead at 1.52am on October 1, 2026. The statement did not say what led to the man being referred to hospital.
Post-Mortem Found No Internal Injuries
JIPS said the post-mortem examination carried out on the deceased found no injuries to his internal organs. However, there were several injuries on the external parts of his body. The cause of death has been recorded as “pending laboratory analysis”, meaning it will only be determined once the results of laboratory tests are known.
The case has been classified as a sudden death, and the Crime and Custodial Death Investigation Unit (USJKT) of JIPS at Bukit Aman is continuing its investigation from various angles.
78 Witnesses Recorded, Case Referred to IPCC
The unit has so far recorded statements from 78 witnesses, comprising police officers, members of the public, medical officers, forensic medical specialists and officers from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK), as well as two of the deceased’s next of kin.
The statement added that the case has also been referred to the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC), in line with the requirements of Section 26 of the Independent Police Conduct Commission Act 2022 (Act 839). The IPCC is the independent body set up under Act 839 to look into misconduct by members of the police force.
Police Pledge Transparency
“The police are committed to the principles of transparency, accountability and fairness in handling any such incident, and call on the public to give room for the investigation to be carried out transparently and not to make any speculation that could disrupt the investigation process,” the statement said.
JIPS also gave its assurance that it would not compromise with any misconduct by any party, and that it would take action in accordance with the regulations and the law.
The man’s identity was not disclosed in the statement, which was distributed to the media by the Corporate Communications secretariat of the Inspector-General of Police’s office at Bukit Aman. Further details are expected once the laboratory analysis is completed and the investigation by USJKT progresses.
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