Taiping prison warden Azwan Mohammed insisted that he did not deny assistance to a visibly ill detainee who later died following an inmate relocation exercise on Jan 17.
In CCTV footage shown during a Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) public inquiry, the prisoner was seen collapsing, with another inmate calling out to Azwan for help.
Azwan said the prisoner had asked him for water after feeling unwell, having been exposed to pepper spray. He said the prisoner was told he would receive help once officers had finished settling the other inmates from Hall B into Block E.
“The security of the block was my priority. It’s not like I didn’t take any action on it. Once I was done with everything, I did send him to the main gate for medical assistance,” said Azwan.
However, testimony from other inmates present during the incident indicated that Azwan made statements such as, “I’m not in the mood to deal with you people right now,” and “Just let him die, it’s not that hard for me to file paperwork (on it later).”
Azwan denied the credibility of both statements, saying that testimony taken from prisoners could not be trusted.
Earlier, Taiping prison officer Zairulazy Napiah admitted to using pepper spray during the inmate relocation exercise, despite not knowing the rules or having any training on its proper use.
When Shashi Devan, representing the inmate’s family, accused Azwan of grievous negligence, the prison warden said that many of the detainees were injured or had “overheated” after the incident.
He said officers could not prioritise medical treatment for all of them before settling them into Block E, and added that if he had known that particular prisoner would die, he “certainly would’ve done something”.
Misuse of prison equipment
The inquiry panel, comprising Suhakam chairman Hishamudin Yunus and commissioner Farah Nini Dusuki, also questioned Azwan’s use of equipment such as body armour and batons during the relocation exercise.
Azwan, one of four officers equipped with body armour on the day of the incident, claimed the equipment was meant for standby use – in case any “disturbances” or conflicts broke out in the prison.
Questioned about the propriety of being fitted with body armour for a simple relocation exercise, Azwan said they did so after being warned that the prisoners would be uncooperative.
Footage also showed an officer in body armour beating a non-resisting prisoner with a baton.
In response, Azwan said, “I disagree. That wasn’t violence. Regulations state that officers are allowed to use batons on prisoners, with minimal force, to weaken them.
“You don’t see (the inmate) fighting back physically in the footage, but they were spouting verbal abuse, with insults and threats.”
The inquiry into the alleged abuse of more than 100 inmates by about 60 wardens in the Jan 17 incident will resume tomorrow.
