Zulfakry Ibrahim waited almost three years in prison to finally get to be with his wife again - but when his day of freedom came early this month - he was sent to a detention centre, where he ended up dead.

In the latest case of death in custody, human rights group Suaram said Zulfakry was jailed in September 2012 for stealing metal and was finally freed on June 3 this year.

However, instead of being set free, Zulfakry was transferred from the Sandakan Prison in Sabah to a temporarily detention centre in the town because he did not have any personal identification.

"His wife, Herny Karnita Karnain, went to the Sandakan Prison (on June 3) to accompany her husband home but was told that Zulfakry was transferred to the Sandakan temporary detention centre since he did not have any identification document.

"Herny immediately went to the Sandakan temporarily detention centre with Zulfakry’s identity card (IC) but the officer-in-charge made a photocopy of the IC but refused to release him, Suaram coordinator Tarmizi Anuwar ( photo ) said.

Tarmizi said Herny was told that her husband needed to be detained for a week for identification purposes, even though Zulfakry was fluent in Malay, with a Negeri Sembilan accent.

He added that Herny called the detention centre at 9am on June 9, but got no reply and when she called again on June 10, she was informed that her husband had died.

Zulfakry was said to have died on June 9.

Officers claim he died ‘after a fall’

Tarmizi said the detention centre's officers claimed that Zulfakry died after a fall , but the post-mortem done at the Sandakan Hospital states that he died from a clog in the heart.

"The victim's family is not satisfied with the post-mortem as there are signs of bruises on his hands, shoulder, ears, nape and neck.

"His nose was also broken and the reason for this was never explained in the post-mortem report or by the detention centre," said Tarmizi.

He blamed the Sandakan Prison for not doing the proper documentation, resulting in Zulfakry being sent to a detention centre after completing his sentence - and ending up dead.

"Suaram urges the police to conduct a transparent and fair investigation into the case.

"We believe there are elements of torture that led to Zulfakry's death in custody," Tarmizi said.