‘Outrageous, disrespectful’: Lawyers blast KL police chief, demand murder probe into Noorizwan’s death

Lawyers have slammed Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus over 
statements they said were disrespectful to the family of Noorizwan Zulkefly, the 42-year-old who was arrested by Cheras police last month and died in custody some 10 days later, with a forensic report confirming severe head trauma and other injuries.

They said that far from acknowledging the injuries suffered by the victim, Fadil instead made "outrageous and unacceptable" remarks about Noorizwan's "small injuries on a drug addict" and his previous arrest records, describing them as an attempt to "divert attention from the serious and extensive injuries suffered by him in police custody".

"This is an outrageous and misleading remark, as the pathologist had already informed police of the extensive injuries all over the body, including generalised bleeding in the brain," said lawyers for Noorizwan's family Dina Zamri and Rania Aljunied, hours after Fadil gave his first official police statement on the case since the family was informed about the death two weeks ago.

"The injuries were not because he was a drug addict who had a fall but because of severe beatings while in police custody."

Saying Fadil had no regard for the feelings of the victim's family, they reminded him of Noorizwan's right to life as guaranteed in the Federal Constitution.

"A man with a criminal record and a man with a clean record are owed exactly the same thing by the State: that he leaves the police lock-up alive and not beaten to death."

Earlier, Fadil defended the police, saying all procedures were adhered to in Noorizwan's arrest, adding that the cause of his death had yet to be determined pending a full report from the Chemistry Department.

He said the case was being investigated as "sudden death", despite lawyers pointing out that the evidences warrant a murder investigation

He then issued a familiar call for the public not to "speculate" or spread unverified information.

Noorizwan  was arrested and brought to the Cheras police headquarters on Sept 20, where he spent the next 10 days in the lock-up. The family said they were not informed of his arrest or whereabouts while he was held in custody.

At a press conference organised by rights group Lawyers for Liberty on Oct 7, his brother Nooranis said the family only received a call from Bukit Aman at about 8pm on Oct 1, informing them that Noorizwan had died in police custody at 1.52am the same day, some 18 hours earlier, after he was brought to Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM).

Lawyer N Surendran had then demanded the inspector-general of police and the government to provide an explanation to both the family and the public.

"This is not acceptable in Malaysia in 2026. This is one of the worst deaths in police custody that I have seen in many years," he said, adding that only a high-level independent team from Bukit Aman should be involved in any police investigation.

'Bukit Aman officers present during forensic briefing'

In their statement today, the lawyers said the family was not speculating and had relied on a pathologist’s findings including autopsy photographs.

They questioned Fadil for failing to provide any "explanation whatsoever about those barbaric injuries which have stunned the nation". 

They said Noorizwan's injuries and the cause of death have been detailed by a senior pathologist at HUKM on Oct 12, in the presence of family members, lawyers and two police officers from Bukit Aman.

"The senior pathologist told everyone present that Noorizwan died from blunt force trauma to the head. The senior pathologist described in detail the horrific injuries all over the body of Noorizwan. The senior pathologist showed the photographs of all the injuries to the police and ourselves."

"How can the police claim that they do not yet know the cause of death and stay silent upon the extensive injuries?"

They rejected the case being classified as "sudden death".

"This is absolutely unacceptable as the police are themselves fully aware from the pathologist’s briefing that there are severe injury marks upon the body.

"Upon receiving that information, the police should have immediately classified the case as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code."

The lawyers demanded Attorney-General Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar to immediately classify the investigation as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, and that all officers at the Cheras police headquarters involved in Noorizwan’s killing be suspended and arrested, and that the Inspector-General of Police form a special team from Bukit Aman.

They also urged Fadil to be gagged from further commenting on the case.