KUALA LUMPUR – Yesterday (April 29), a video showing two men being beaten with a rubber hose has gone viral online.
In the 45-second video, the men were shoved to a corner and endured the relentless beating. They were also kicked in the body by one of the nine men surrounding them.
This comes after a detainee named A. Ganapathy died after spending 12 days in police custody and suffered severe injuries to his body, sparking widespread anger.
Netizens have launched a #JusticeforGanapathy Twitter campaign along with a petition on change.org calling for the end of police brutality in Malaysia.
The petition is as follows:
“A. Ganapathy, a 40-year-old Malaysian Indian man, was brutally abused when held in police custody, which led to his untimely death. He was beaten with a rubber hose, leading to the amputation of his leg, and on the 20th of April, he passed away after spending a month in the ICU.
“Police brutality is an issue that largely affects Malaysian minority groups and is an infringement of our civil rights. Sign this petition now and help us hold the government and our police force (PDRM) accountable. No more lives should be lost for justice to be served.”
According to Harian Metro, Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said that his team are tracking down the individuals in the video. The incident is believed to have occurred at a vape shop at Chow Kit.
“The content of the video was clearly in violation of the law and could cause public disturbance.”
“The Crime Investigation Department has made an official report over the video”
He also assured the public that the individuals will be punished accordingly for their actions.
“The case will be investigated under Section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by means of an instrument/weapon) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Penal Code.
“We also urge netizens not to share the video on social media to avoid stirring public unrest.”
Anyone with additional information is advised to contact IPD Dang Wangi at 03-26002222, the Kuala Lumpur Police Hotline at 03-21159999 or any nearby police station.
Sources: Twitter and Harian Metro
Editor: Raymond Chen
Proofreader: Sarah Yeoh
