When 44-year-old Ali Othman began his prison sentence in Kluang Prison, Johor on Feb 3 this year, he was certified in perfect health without any chronic illnesses, according to his sister Siti.

Fast forward to July 29 when Ali’s wife received a call from a Kluang prison officer notifying her that her husband had passed away due to Covid-19, just over a month after surgery to his thighs and intestine...