Lim Guan Eng lamented his one night lock-up experience - but he may be the lucky one that did not have to share the cell with many others. The state of Malaysian lock-ups, which are used to house 'SUSPECTS' not the convicted, may even be worse that a prison cell. The condition need to be improved for after all these are merely 'SUSPECTS' remanded for the purposes of investigations - not even accused persons or convicted persons. It must be up-graded to have a proper bed, etc ...
Lim Guan Eng had to sleep on a wooden floor after he was detained overnight in the lock-up of the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya. “I had to change to the SPRM (MACC) orange T-shirt and slept on the wooden floor in the small lock-up (no pillow, no mattress)
Malaysian overcrowded prisons - about 68,000 now in detention, in Malaysian prisons that have a prescribed capacity of 52,000 > so, it is overcrowded by about 16,0000
About 68,000 prison inmates are currently housed in 42 prisons nationwide, according to Malaysian Prisons Department deputy director-general (Security and Correctional) Datuk Alzafry Mohamed Alnassif Mohamed Adahan.
He said the number was increasing every year, and for this year, the influx of new residents decreased due to the reduced crime cases as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic pandemic.
Without furnishing further details, he said, although, the latest number exceeded the prescribed capacity of 52,000, the prisons were able to accommodate them currently.
Are those in Malaysian prisons all convicted prisoners serving out their sentence? NO - many are there yet to be tried and convicted. The POOR who cannot afford bail may likely be the biggest group. Then, there would be those that have been denied BAIL, which a small number maybe because of SOSMA that now denies BAIL for persons charged for any of the about 100 offences - including the offence of merely being in possession of books, paraphenelia, etc.
Lim Guan Eng complaints about 'different treatment' with reference to Najib > but look at the normal people arrested and remanded in the police lock-up for days - where they do not get to stay alone in cells - but with so many others, where the conditions are even worse...
REFORMS much needed for police lock-ups, prisons and the administration of justice in Malaysia.
Politicians and political parties need to concerned and ACT not simply when a fellow politician becomes a victim...or they themselves are victims.
See earlier related posts:-
Prison conditions and OTHER prisoner rights? Why not, Anwar Ibrahim?
68 year old Singaporean sues Malaysia's Immigration Dept for RM2.67m over 'inhuman’/wrongful detention? Time for prison reforms?
25 - 37% of the total prison population in Malaysia are innocent? Poor - so cannot afford bail?
In Kajang Prison only 300 teenagers languish waiting YEARS for their day in court...
71.3 percent(?) of those in prison are Malays when only about 50% Malays in Malaysia - UMNO-BN failure?
About 68,000 convicts in 42 prisons nationwide
08 Aug 2020 / 19:40 H.
KAJANG: About 68,000 prison inmates are currently housed in 42 prisons nationwide, according to Malaysian Prisons Department deputy director-general (Security and Correctional) Datuk Alzafry Mohamed Alnassif Mohamed Adahan.
He said the number was increasing every year, and for this year, the influx of new residents decreased due to the reduced crime cases as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic pandemic.
Without furnishing further details, he said, although, the latest number exceeded the prescribed capacity of 52,000, the prisons were able to accommodate them currently.
“The number consists of 54,508 locals and 14,095 foreigners. Occupancy is increasing and if you follow the trend, the number will not decrease,“ he said.
He said this to Bernama in conjunction with the Bank Rakyat Sinar Aidiladha Programme contribution presentation ceremony at the Kajang Prison Headquarters Auditorium, here today.
In another development, Alzafry Mohamed Alnassif said the department always practiced physical distancing and complied with the standard operating procedures (SOP) set by the government to break the Covid-19 epidemic chain.
“The prisons always practice the prescribed SOP so that there are no unwanted incidents and are careful in accepting new inmates, including the presence of the public,“ he said.
He said new inmates would be quarantined in a special designated block upon admission and the prisons would conduct an examination first before they were allowed to be placed with other inmates.
“If these inmates are found to be unwell, the Prisons Department will contact the Ministry of Health or the nearest hospital for further action,“ he said.
In early June, Bernama reported that a non-citizen prison inmate, an illegal immigrant at the Sungai Buloh prison, was confirmed positive for Covid-19.
Earlier, Bank Rakyat donated 34 cows worth RM166,600 to 1,830 frontline staff and zakat recipients in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration. - Bernama - Sun Daily, 8/8/2020
Slept on wooden floor, no mattress or pillow - Guan Eng recounts night in lock-up
Lim Guan Eng had to sleep on a wooden floor after he was detained overnight in the lock-up of the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.
The former finance minister (above, left) recounted his ordeal in a Facebook post late last night.
He also claimed that his predecessor, Najib Abdul Razak, did not receive the same treatment when the latter was arrested in relation to the SRC International and 1MDB scandals.
“I had to change to the SPRM (MACC) orange T-shirt and slept on the wooden floor in the small lock-up (no pillow, no mattress), unlike my predecessor who did not spend a single night in the lock-up.
“Whether this is double-standard or not, only MACC can answer,” he added.
Meanwhile, the DAP secretary-general said he was upset upon learning that his wife, Betty Chew, was also arrested by the MACC in Penang yesterday, fearing that she too would have to spend the night in the lock-up.
Lim said his wife was detained although she had nothing to do with the Penang undersea tunnel project or government matters.
“I was relieved she was released,” he added.
'They know where it hurts most'
Lim, who had served as Penang chief minister before assuming the post of a federal minister after Pakatan Harapan won the last general election, reiterated his claim of being a victim of political persecution.
“PN (Perikatan Nasional government) going after me with baseless charges is to be expected. After all, this unelected government needs to reinforce its slim parliamentary majority.
“But to go for my wife, who even though a lawyer, does not enjoy a luxurious lifestyle, shows that they know how to hit you where you helplessly hurt most,” he added.
Yesterday, Lim claimed trial to a charge of soliciting a bribe with regard to the RM6.3 billion Penang undersea tunnel project in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court. He has since been released on bail.
The opposition leader is also expected to face additional charges on Aug 10 and 11 at the Penang Sessions Court.
Meanwhile, his wife would be charged at the Butterworth Sessions Court on Tuesday under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing, and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (Amla) Act.
Najib in lock-up?
Yesterday, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki told Malaysiakini that Lim was not the first politician to be detained overnight and defended his officers' actions.
He
listed Najib as among the prominent politicians who had been detained
overnight by the commission before being produced in court, though it is
unclear if Najib had also spent the night in a lock-up.
He said the decision to arrest a suspect is up to the discretion of an investigating officer and is provided for under the law.
Najib has earlier claimed that he did not spend a night in the lock-up before he was brought to the court to be charged.
"I was not in the lock-up. I was in the MACC building," he told journalists after posting bail on Sept 20, 2018, for money laundering and power abuse charges involving 1MDB.
However, in a Facebook post yesterday, Najib claimed that he spent two nights in the MACC lock-up. Malaysiakini is seeking further clarification from the former premier regarding this. - Malaysiakini, 8/8/2020
Minister: Putrajaya aims to reduce prison population, not build more jails
KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 ― The government wants to lower convict numbers instead of building more prisons to accommodate them, Datuk Liew Vui Keong has said.
Liew noted that prisons nationwide were now over capacity, but reportedly said the government does not plan to construct more as this was not part of the government's key performance indicators (KPI).
“Our goal is to implement effective measures to reduce the number of prisoners, not to build more prisons, we are prepared to actively push for awareness activities, to advise youths to stay away from drugs, while at the same time guide convicts to return to the straight path through community reform programmes,” the minister in charge of legal affairs was quoted saying yesterday by local daily Sin Chew Daily.
Liew said the prisons in Malaysia could only accommodate a maximum of 45,000 prisoners, but said the current number of prisoners has reached over 66,000.
“Among the prisoners are drug offenders exceeding 46,000 people, amounting for 56 per cent. There are 1,281 prisoners on death row, among them 932 are drug traffickers, the other 300-odd includes the 19 who were involved in the Lahad Datu intrusion incident,” he also said.
Speaking on the severity of prison overcrowding here, Liew noted that one prison made prisoners sleep in shifts to mitigate.
This was due to lack of beds for a 10-person cell housing 20 prisoners, forcing them to take turns with 10 to stand while the other 10 sleep, he said.
During parliamentary debate on October 30, 2018, Liew had said that there were 65,222 convicts in prison, with about 36,313 or 55 per cent who were drug offenders.
Citing statistics from the prison authorities, Liew said that the daily cost for a prisoner ranges from RM38 to RM41, inclusive of cost for amenities and prison officer wages.
This means that the minimum daily cost involved for the 65,222 prisoners would be at least over RM2.4 million. - Malay Mail,9/3/2019
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