Family rejects cops’ claim they followed SOPs in death in custody case

The family of Noorizwan Zulkefly, a 42-year-old man who died in police custody, has rejected the claim made by the Kuala Lumpur police chief that his detention and arrest complied with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Noorizwan, who was linked to three cases involving drug and criminal offenses, was detained for 11 days without informing his family.

His brother, Nooranis Zulkefly, expressed outrage over the police's alleged lack of transparency and adherence to proper protocols. The family, supported by representatives from Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) and civil society members, gathered outside the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters to submit a formal memorandum of protest endorsed by 53 NGOs and rights groups.

The memorandum demanded the reclassification of the case as murder, the suspension and arrest of officers involved in Noorizwan's detention, and a public explanation for keeping the family uninformed. LFL director Rania Aljunied stated that the bruises on Noorizwan's body indicated he had been hit or beaten, and the autopsy confirmed the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head, with 21 severe injuries recorded.