Prison Reform Needs Immediate Attention — KLSCAH

The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall is concerned that Malaysia’s current prisons and detention centres do not have health and medical facilities that are up to standard.

In response to the recent guilty verdict of former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was sentenced for the SRC International case, the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) is concerned that Malaysia’s current prisons and detention centres do not have health and medical facilities that are up to standard.

Regardless of the social status of the inmates behind bars, the rights of the inmates must be guaranteed and treated humanely, as per our Prison Act 1995 (Act 537).

It is the stance of KLSCAH that the Malaysian Prison Department should provide equal treatment to every prisoner, including Najib, without preference for his status as an influential political figure. However, this does not mean that the authorities can whitewash the poor conditions of our prison environments, which have been exposed to the public many times.

The public has always commented on the poor hygiene, the lack of food supply, and the lack of medical facilities in Malaysian prisons and detention centres. Past Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) reports have revealed that the living conditions in our prisons and detention centres are deplorable, especially during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Clusters of infections in prisons are frequent, such as the Tembok cluster in Kota Setar, Kedah. This cluster occurred in late 2020 due to poor prison conditions — and the unarguable fact that an overwhelming number of inmates have strained the prison’s capacity. With more than thousands of confirmed Covid-19 cases, there are even infection cases happening during cross-state confinement.

KLSCAH believes that the government and the opposition should immediately explore the possibility of amending the Prison Act 1995. The implementation of a penal system reform is an urgent matter.

After all, many of the provisions in the Prison Act are policies left behind by the British colonial system. There are questions on whether they still fit with the reality of our correctional facilities, given the current state of these prisons. Meanwhile, what is worthy and up for debate is the enforcement of prisoners’ rights.

KLSCAH hopes that Malaysians realise that the criticism against Najib’s imprisonment is only a drop in the ocean. Thousands of prisoners are experiencing even more unbearable prison conditions, with violations of their human rights happening.

Therefore, we call upon relevant authorities to face the issues of current correctional facilities. With problems such as overcrowding and shortage of food and medical facilities, we need to explore improvements to the overall system of prisons and detention centres, and actively promote the reform of the penal system.

KLSCAH is the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

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