Noorizwan's death in police custody, IGP orders CID probe, what happens next

Inspector-General of Police Mohd Khalid Ismail has ordered Bukit Aman's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate at once the death of Noorizwan Zulkefly, 42, who died in police custody at the Cheras District Police Headquarters. The cause of death is still unknown because police are waiting for a laboratory report, according to a Bernama report carried by Malay Mail on Sunday.

The case has drawn public attention for two weeks. Here is what is known so far and what happens next.

What happened

Noorizwan was detained on 19 September according to Scoop (Malaysiakini says 20 September) to help investigations under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and sections 457 and 379 of the Penal Code. He died on 1 October. Bernama reported that he was taken from the Cheras police headquarters to Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Hospital in Cheras the day before.

According to Malaysiakini, his family said they did not know about the detention until news of his death reached them.

What the IGP announced

Mohd Khalid said he asked the CID director, Datuk M. Kumar, to investigate as quickly as possible and make the findings public. He said the probe had to be thorough because several unusual injuries were found on Noorizwan's body.

Once the post-mortem report from the hospital states the cause of death, police will issue an official statement on the next course of action, he told reporters after a university college convocation in Putrajaya.

According to Scoop, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim ordered a thorough and transparent investigation and has contacted the IGP for details.

What police and the family say

Until now the case was being investigated as a sudden death. The director of Bukit Aman's Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS), Datuk Aida Abdul Hamid, said the post-mortem found no injuries to the internal organs and identified only external injuries. The cause of death is awaiting laboratory analysis.

The family's lawyers from Lawyers for Liberty went further on 15 October, according to Malaysiakini. They want the case investigated as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, all Cheras police officers involved arrested and investigated, and a special Bukit Aman team set up. They also claimed a pathologist told police of extensive injuries, including widespread bleeding in the brain. That claim is not backed by an official pathology result, which police said was not yet available.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus said at the time that the investigation was awaiting the Chemistry Department's full report and the official pathology results, and asked the public not to speculate.

What happens next

• Laboratory and post-mortem reports. The official cause of death depends on them. The IGP said police will issue a statement once they are received.
• The CID probe. The case moves from a JIPS sudden-death inquiry to an urgent CID investigation. The IGP promised its findings will be made public.
• The family's demands. According to Malaysiakini, the family's memorandum to the IGP asks that evidence including CCTV footage and detention records be preserved, and that the family and their lawyers get regular, transparent updates.

As of these reports, no officer has been reported arrested, suspended or charged. The CID findings and the official cause of death have not been announced.

Sources

• Malay Mail, "IGP orders immediate CID probe into Noorizwan's death in custody", 25 October 2026 (Bernama).
• Scoop, "Penemuan kecederaan luar biasa pada badan, JSJ Bukit Aman diarah segera siasat kematian Noorizwan", 25 October 2026.
• Malaysiakini, "'Irresponsible explanation': Lawyers slam police chief, demand murder probe", 15 October 2026.