KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 ― An oversight body on local enforcement agencies said that were no complaints lodged on alleged abuse at the Immigration detention camp in Juru, Penang where allegedly fatal abuse occurred.
Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) chairman Datuk Yaacob Md Sam said the commission was “aware” of recent allegations of physical abuse and torture at the detention centre, but confirmed no such complaint had reached it.
“EAIC has not received any complaints regarding any incidents of misconduct or abuse by Immigration officers in the Juru Detention Centre, Penang,” he told Malay Mail Online in an email response last night.
Yaacob also said that a police report and a report to the Coroner's Court has to be made in accordance with the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Code “if there have been cases of sudden death in 'custody' including at the detention centers”, but said there was no such cases according to Penang's official data.
“Based on statistics received by EAIC from the Penang Chief Police and Deputy Chief Minister of Penang (Special Committee on Deaths in Custody) in 2015, there were no incidents of death in custody and no reports of sudden death have been made as required under the law,” he said.
The EAIC confirmed that it had not conducted surprise visits or inspections on the Juru detention centre in the past, but said it had visited three other immigration detention centres late last year.
“Commissioners and senior officials from EAIC have made a surprise visit (spot checks) to the Machap Umboo Immigration Depot (joint-visit with Suhakam), Semenyih Immigration Depot and Langkap Immigration Depot,” Yaacob said, referring to visits on October 5, November 18, November 21 last year respectively.
The surprise visits, which were conducted in accordance to Section 4(1)(h) of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission Act 2009, were aimed at studying the “physical condition of a detention centre and also the compliance of the related laws and SOP” pertaining to the running of the centre by the Immigration Department, he said.
Under the section, the function of the commission is to make site visits to the premises of an enforcement agency, including visiting police stations and lockups in accordance with the procedures under any written law and to also make any necessary related recommendations.
“The visits and inspections have not found any ill-treatment or the use of physical violence or torture on detainees,” he said.
He said the EAIC found the Immigration Department's operations and administration was in compliance with the relevant standard operating procedures, with the overall situation “satisfactory” with a need for improvements in depot logistics and depot safety.
“The visits' findings and recommendations had been forwarded to the DG of the Immigration Department of Malaysia and Ministry of Home Affairs in order to improve the management and facilities at the detention centres,” he said.
“EAIC will continue to conduct surprise visits to the detention centers and lock-ups and the National Anti-Drug Agency's PUSPEN in order to focus on issues relating to the management of the residents, SOP compliance and also on the facilities provided or available at these centres,” he added, referring to the Narcotic Addiction Rehabilitation Centre by its Malay acronym.
Malay Mail Online had contacted the EAIC for a response to The Cambodia Daily's Monday report that two Cambodian women had claimed to have witnessed physical abuse of the Juru detention centre's detainees, with one of them alleging that several had died due to the purported “torture”.
The duo, whose names have been withheld for their safety, were reportedly brought back home by Cambodian rights group Centre for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (Central) from Malaysia where they had worked for allegedly abusive employers and ended up at the Juru detention centre.
Yesterday, national news agency Bernama reported Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali as saying that his department had carried out a preliminary investigation and found the claims to be “untrue”.
