The family of a detainee who died in police custody in Johor yesterday wants the authorities to investigate the incident.

The self-employed Mohd Faizal Md Yeit, 32, was arrested on Sept 18 on suspicion of drug abuse. Yesterday, he was found dead in his cell at the Batu Pahat police lock-up.

His eldest brother Mohd Yazid, 50, told Malaysiakini that the cause of death stated in the preliminary medical report was  "perforated gastric ulcer".

However, Yazid said another sibling of theirs noticed bruises on the Faizal's abdomen and neck during the funerary preparations.

"The issue here is that we are not satisfied with the cause of death stated.

"A full post-mortem report is not yet available, but according to the initial report, the doctor who checked my brother's body stated that his intestine was perforated due to bad gastritis.

"And my other brother also saw bruises on Faizal's abdomen and neck.

"We are not accusing the police, but we want an investigation to be carried out to find out the truth as we are suspicious about the circumstances that led to my brother's death," he said in a phone interview.

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Yazid added that the family was also upset that the police only notified Faizal's wife of his detention four days after he was arrested in Yong Peng, Johor.

Faizal, who is survived by his wife and one-year-old son, was buried in his hometown in Paloh, Kluang, last night.

Yazid said the family will lodge a police report tomorrow to call for an investigation into the incident.

Police chief: We are open to investigations

When contacted by Malaysiakini, Johor police chief Mohd Khalel Kadir Mohd said the family has every right to lodge a report, and the force has no qualms about launching an investigation into the incident.

Khalel said Faizal was arrested on Sept 18 under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act on suspicion of drugs possession.

Police subsequently secured a four-day remand order against Faizal on Sept 22.

"On Sept 23, the deceased complained of a stomach ache and was taken to the Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital in Batu Pahat, where he was given treatment before being returned to the lock-up.

"The next morning at about 10am, police found him unconscious inside his cell. An ambulance was called before a medical assistant pronounced him dead," he said.

Khalel said following this, the police called a Batu Pahat magistrate, who went to the lock-up to inspect the body.

He said the magistrate was satisfied that there were no signs of foul play.

"A post-mortem on the deceased was carried out in the evening, where the doctor found that the victim had died from a perforated gastric ulcer".