I am very saddened by the tragedy that has befallen the family of detainee Ho Kwai See who died while in police custody. The circumstances that led to his death cannot but cause any one, more so his family, to suspect foul play.

Is there nobody in power who shares the suspicion that the deceased died of torture while in detention? Doesn't Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai or Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - who is set to take over the prime ministership in two months - want to find out what actually happened to the poor guy, whatever his alleged crime might be?

Are we to protect and shelter those responsible, if any, that might have literally killed this guy? If the government wants to retain any sense of respect and credibility, it should try to be clean and transparent in all circumstances and stop shielding any one who has committed wrongdoing.

With our present medical facilities, nobody should die of a perforated ulcer, as even the most junior surgeon is quite capable of repairing such a perforation.

If this poor bloke suffered a perforated ulcer while in detention, he would have suffered enough pain to alert his custodians to take him for medical attention.

The failure to get him to a doctor is as good as killing him. That alone is enough to hold the authorities liable.