Five prison officers from Taiping Prison were charged on July 3, 2026, with causing injuries to three inmates during separate assaults on January 17, 2025 [1, 2, 3, 4]. The accused are Mohd Hairie Jumri (40), Saiful Azman Mohamad Ibrahim (44), Ahmad Rizal Razali (37), Muhamad Mustakhim Abdul Rahim (40), and Nor Hafiz Izwan Muhammad Jajam (31) [1, 3, 4].
Mohd Hairie Jumri and Saiful Azman Mohamad Ibrahim face joint charges under Section 324 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt to inmate P. Jason Immanuel, 25, using a baton in Hall B of Taiping Prison between 3pm and 4pm on the day of the incident [1, 3, 5, 4]. Ahmad Rizal Razali was charged under Section 323 for voluntarily causing hurt to inmate V. Naveen Kumar, 32, at the same time and place [1, 3, 5, 4]. Muhamad Mustakhim Abdul Rahim and Nor Hafiz Izwan Muhammad Jajam were jointly charged under Section 323 read with Section 34 for causing hurt to inmate G. Yugarajan, 30, during the same period [1, 3, 5, 4].
The five officers pleaded not guilty in Magistrate’s Courts on July 3, 2026, and were granted bail. Bail amounts were RM4,000 each with two sureties for Mohd Hairie and Saiful Azman, RM3,000 with two sureties for Ahmad Rizal, and RM2,000 each with one surety for Muhamad Mustakhim and Nor Hafiz [1, 5, 4].
Offences under Section 324 carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail, a fine, whipping, or any combination thereof. Section 323 offences can result in up to one year imprisonment, a fine up to RM2,000, or both [1, 3, 5, 6, 4]. CID director Datuk M. Kumar said, "If convicted, they face up to 10 years' jail, a fine, whipping, or any two of the punishments" [2].
Investigations were conducted by CID Bukit Aman and Perak police, with prosecution instructions issued by the Attorney-General’s Chambers on June 29, 2026 [2, 7, 8]. Earlier, on December 19, 2025, another warder was separately charged under Section 304(b) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder connected to the same January 2025 incident [2, 7, 8].
The human rights commission Suhakam found in June 2026 that the Taiping Prison incident involved alleged human rights violations including excessive force, poor medical care, weak oversight, and delays in investigations [9, 2, 7]. The Malaysian Prisons Department affirmed its commitment to integrity and accountability, stressing full cooperation with police and courts while urging the public not to speculate to avoid prejudicing the case. The department emphasized the presumption of innocence until proven guilty [9, 6, 8]. The statement said, "The Prisons Department upholds the principles of integrity, professionalism, and accountability in executing its responsibilities as the leader of the country's corrective services. We will not compromise on any misconduct that violates the law or compromises public trust in the institution" [6].
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the government "would not shield any wrongdoing," adding that due process must be allowed if evidence of misconduct is established [2, 7].
The court set September 7 and 8, 2026, for case mention and submission of documents, with the first date applying to Mohd Hairie, Saiful Azman, and Ahmad Rizal, and the second to Muhamad Mustakhim and Nor Hafiz [1, 5, 4].
