The People's Progressive Party (PPP) Youth movement today urged Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai to investigate the deaths in police custody and to ensure that such cases will not occur in the future.

PPP Youth chief T Murugiah said he believed "something must have gone wrong" with the detentions which resulted in the death of at least three detainees since January.

This afternoon, he was accompanied by some 20 PPP Youth committee members to submit a two-page memorandum to Norian's office at the Bukit Aman police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Asked what prompted their action, the Youth leader said PPP was just as concerned as the public about the much-publicised ill-treatment of detainees in lock-ups since last year.

"We pity the victims and their families. They are o­nly suspects, we don't know whether they have committed any crimes so we must investigate first," he said when contacted.

Uncomfortable with police

Murugiah said they could not understand why most of the victims were Indian Malaysians, citing the latest case in Batu Pahat, Johor over the weekend where a rape suspect was found dead with a swollen neck and bleeding eyes.

He warned that such cases have made many Malaysians uncomfortable with the police and were giving the police force a bad name.

He said the police officer who received the memorandum o­n Norian's behalf promised to revert to PPP Youth o­n the matter.

"The police told us that they will not sweep these cases under the carpet but will investigate them thoroughly," he added.

Memo to home minister

Murugiah said a letter stating PPP Youth's concern over the issue will be sent to Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi o­n Wednesday.

In the memorandum, PPP Youth expressed regret over what was committed against the detainees by "a small group of irresponsible police officers".

It also called o­n Norian to take swift action against those responsible for the ill-treatment of detainees before Malaysians lose their confidence in the police and the Barisan Nasional government.

In recent years, opposition and civil groups have raised issues over police brutality against civilians especially in their dealing with crime suspects and detainees.

Last year Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia (Prim), o­ne of the strong advocates against such ill-treatment, had repeatedly demanded that the police be more professional after the party received many complaints about deaths in police custody.