Torture is not part of the Royal Malaysian Navy's culture, Armed Forces chief Gen Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed said today.

He also described the deaths of two navy personnel in a detention unit in Perak as an isolated case.

"It is not a culture or regimentation. If it is a culture then (deaths in naval detention centres will happen) almost every day.

“It is an isolated case," Raja Mohamed Affandi told reporters in Putrajaya today.

He stressed that military camps with detention centres should adhere to strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

However, he said, some "may not be following the SOP."

He added that personnel should also be sent for medical screening before confined in detention centres.

Police investigations

As for the deaths of navy personnel Muhammad Baihaqy Nik Mat, 28 and Muhammad Lailatulman Mohd Sukri, 26, last Friday, Raja Mohamed Affandi said the matter would be left to the police to investigate.

"We will let the police take the case and we will help them by whatever means and ways that we can," he added.

The post-mortem found signs of possible torture, leading the case to be classified as murder. Police have arrested three security personnel at the detention centre to facilitate investigations.

Meanwhile, Raja Mohamed Affandi said the Armed Forces would look into the SOP across the board and address the weakness.

"Hopefully, this will be the last time such an incident happens. We should stop this," he added.

As for one of the deceased's family appointing a lawyer to seek justice, the Armed Forces chief said the family had the right to do so.