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ii. CCTV Maintenance
During their visit, SUHAKAM was informed that the Perlis Correctional
Centre was overcrowded. It was holding 1,270 detainees while the
capacity is only 600. The prison CCTV system was not functioning due
to poor maintenance. This is a potential problem for the officers as there
are too many detainees to monitor in each cell. Hence, maintenance
of the CCTV is crucial and the issue needs to be addressed immediately
to help prison personnel in their surveillance tasks.
iii. Relocation of Detainees Who Require Health Supervision
SUHAKAM was notified that the Perlis Correctional Centre did not have
a sickbay for medical supervision. As a result of this, a complainant
and his lawyer applied to transfer a detainee to Alor Setar prison
which does provide such facilities. SUHAKAM recommends that the
transfer and relocation detainees who require supervision or intensive
care by medical officers should be done immediately. Any delay
may affect the detainee’s recovery.
iv. Drug Trafficking Problem in Prison
SUHAKAM was informed by the doctor who treated Mohd Fairuz
in the emergency ward that the latter was under the influence of
drugs while in detention. Mohd Fairuz was tested positive for drugs
and prison authorities isolated him for 4 months in a separate cell.
SUHAKAM recommends that prison authorities ensure that drug
trafficking does not happen in prison and that they take stern action
against those trafficking drugs into the prison.
b) Recommendations to Malaysian Ministry of Health
v. Follow-up and physiotherapy treatment for detainees
SUHAKAM observed that there is no follow up treatment for detainees
at Tuanku Fauziah Hospital (HTF). It is the responsibility of the prison
doctor to monitor the progress of the detainee. However, this process
makes it difficult to ensure the detainee gets follow-up treatment
because he must obtain approval from the prison doctor before he
can be taken to the hospital.
9. DETAINEES AT IMMIGRATION DEPOTS WHO ARE STILL UNDER POLICE
INVESTIGATION
SUHAKAM visited several Immigration depots in 2019 and was told of
detainees whose deportation orders were suspended by the depot