The death of a Japanese national in police custody has raised the profile of calls for the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) into an international one, said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

He said Nobuhiro Matsushita’s death has “tarnished Malaysia’s international reputation and smeared the image” in particular of the police force, Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“Whilst some of the custodial deaths may be due to natural causes, the public will continue to have grave suspicions in police interrogation methods unless the police can assure the public that they are not only clean, but are seen to be clean…

“Only a transparent and accountable mechanism, which is available by establishing the IPCMC, can restore public confidence and reassure the public that detainees in police custody will be safe.

“Otherwise, the public will have recurring nightmares that should any of their loved ones be placed in police custody, they may not walk out alive,” he said in a statement today.

Nobuhiro was reportedly found dead yesterday at the USJ8 police station lockup, Subang Jaya, from hanging himself with his shirt on the grille bar of his cell.

University Malaya Medical Centre’s autopsy report concluded he died of hanging with no other signs of injury.

Nobuhiro’s death marks the fourth death in custody so far since N Dhamendran’s murder at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters lockup last month, bringing this year’s custodial death toll to nine in under six months.

Lim renewed his call for the IPCMC saying, “How many more must die before the tragedy of custodial deaths are stopped?”