Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said police will look into rapper Namewee’s allegations of deplorable lock-up conditions.

“Surely, yes. We realise about the things he had claimed,” said Khalid in a press conference at the Bukit Aman police headquarters today.

This comes as Penang police chief Abdul Ghafar Rajab earlier dismissed Namewee’s allegations and demanded that he lodge a police report so it can be investigated.

But Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo had said yesterday there was no need for police to wait for a report to be lodged before it conducts an internal probe on the state of the lock-ups.

Khalid today said lodging a report would be best, but added that police would still take action based on Namewee’s claims.

The top cop, however, said not everything claimed by Namewee should be taken as truth.

“He was just released from a lock-up so he will say many things.

“So we cannot take what he says at a 100 percent. When one is angry, he or she will say all kinds of things,” he said.

Khalid added while no lock-ups were ‘deplorable’, several were definitely in need of upgrading.

“We have several centralised lock-ups in the Klang Valley which are modern and equipped with various facilities.

“But lock-ups at old police stations are still being upgraded,” he said.

Namewee, or his full name Wee Meng Chee, was held for four days last week at the Bayan Baru police lock-up, after being arrested for his controversial music video 'Oh My God'.

On his release, he took to Facebook to reveal the allegedly deplorable conditions of the lock-up, and expressed fear that the 15 Myanmar detainees also held there may die while in custody.

'No need for SOP review'

On another matter, Khalid said there was no need for police to review its standard operating procedure (SOP).

This, following the Court of Appeal’s unanimous decision yesterday which found that the police and the government were liable in the killing of three young men at Glenmarie in Shah Alam six years ago.

“We already have a proper SOP. We have the SOP it’s just that (sometimes) it is not followed.

“So for those who do not follow the SOP, they should be held accountable as our SOP has been proven to be comprehensive,” said Khalid.

The Court of Appeal had overturned the decision of the High Court in Shah Alam, in 2015, which dismissed the civil lawsuit brought by the families of the three men.

The three were accused of robbing several petrol stations. The police who shot them dead claimed the three were armed with machetes, and attacked them after they were cornered.