Speaking to FMT, Yusof confirmed receipt of a report from Kluang prison yesterday regarding the death of a Nepalese prisoner in his 30s.

He said investigations into the prisoner’s death revealed that he had been convicted under section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty, for a case which occurred in either 2016 or 2017.

“This prisoner had appealed several times against his sentence, but it was dismissed. He did not die in a police lock-up, but the case took place in the (Kluang) prison,” he said when contacted.

Yusof said the police confirmed that the prisoner had hanged himself using a blanket, and that the case was classified as sudden death.

Today, Eliminating Deaths and Abuse in Custody Together (EDICT) said it had received information on another case of a death in custody that occurred at the Kluang Prison.

EDICT said the case this time involved a Nepalese man in his 30s and the body was now at Kluang Hospital for autopsy.

“EDICT would like to reiterate that deaths in custody are not appropriate. Prison officers must always be sensitive to detainees’ health as well as to practise integrity and ensure that detainees receive humane treatment,” it said in a statement.