In a statement, Hayat said it was informed that Kamran Illyas died on Feb 6 due to a heart attack.

However, the NGO said Kamran claimed during a phone call with his wife on Jan 22 that he had been beaten, caned and threatened while in prison.

“Hayat calls for an immediate investigation into Kamran’s death. His cause of death and the sequence of events leading up to it must be examined and scrutinised to ensure that no foul play, negligence or neglect contributed to his death.

“Kamran leaves behind his wife and two children, whom he had not seen in person since he travelled to Malaysia in 2011,” it said in a statement.

FMT has reached out to the police and Kajang prison for comment.

Hayat said Kamran suffered from diabetes and had part of his right foot amputated as a result. Despite that, he was caned 12 times as part of his sentence for drug trafficking.

It added that he was initially jailed in Bentong prison but suffered a stroke in September last year and was hospitalised. He was transferred to Kajang prison on Jan 13.

Kamran was arrested in 2011 for drug trafficking. He was acquitted in 2015, but his acquittal was overturned by the Court of Appeal in 2018.