Chapter 1 – Report of the Policy, Law and Complaints Group According to the Lock-Up Rules 1953, medical screening by a medical officer is compulsory when a suspect is detained in a police lock-up. However, this has never been implemented because there has never been a medical officer placed at the police lock-ups. Besides that, there are no police personnel who have been trained to handle issues related to healthcare, and no medical facilities available at the police lock-ups. (ii) Conditions of the Lock-Ups The Commission observed that the conditions of the lock-ups were very degrading and did not meet international standards. Most of the lock-ups visited during the study had very poor ventilation and lighting. This caused a bad smell in the lock-ups and might have been a contributing factor to the poor health of the detainees. Cleanliness was also observed to be poor and the toilets were in very deplorable conditions. The floor surfaces of the lock-ups, which were of either wood or cement, were not properly maintained, limiting the living space of the detainees. The situation would worsen when the lock-ups were overcrowded, leaving detainees limited space for sleep. (iii) Meals Most of the detainees interviewed during the study complained about the meals provided at the lock-ups. Detainees were provided three meals a day - breakfast, lunch, and dinner - but according to the detainees the food and water that were provided to them were not enough. Packed water was provided during meals but more often than not it was not sufficient. The Commission found that the detainees were asked to drink tap water from the toilets if they requested for more water. The main contributing factor to this problem was the low budget allocated for the meals by the Government. The Commission also noted that the allocation varied from district to district, with some receiving an unbelievably low amount. (iv) Overcrowding The Commission observed that most of the lock-ups, especially the older ones, were constantly facing the problem of overcrowding. This was due to the size of the lock-ups, which limited the number of detainees that could be accommodated. The problem would worsen when there were operations and raids by authorities - not only PDRM, but also agencies such as the Immigration Department of Malaysia (IMM), the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD), the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), and religious enforcement authorities. These agencies usually use police lock-ups as a transit facility or for temporary detention. Overcrowding could lead to problems like infighting among detainees, the risk of getting infectious diseases, lack of sleeping space and lack of proper monitoring by the authorities. 74 BOOK-ANR2016-01-latest.indb 74 08/04/2016 3:32 PM