Chapter 1 – Report of the Policy, Law and Complaints Group
(i)
As stipulated in the Lock-Up Rules 1953,
medical screening must be carried out
before detaining anyone in a police lockup. This will benefit both the detainees
and the police personnel. PDRM and
the MOH should explore ways of
implementing this. PDRM may also
consider appointing its own medical
team, which is the practice of the
Victoria Police in Melbourne, Australia.
(ii)
As stated in Articles 10 and 11 of the
Standard Minimum Rules for the
Treatment of Prisoners, modification
of a lock-up’s structure to enable proper
ventilation and lighting should be done if
necessary. Installing additional exhaust
fans where appropriate and fans at the
corridors would improve conditions. The
structure of the lock-ups should allow
natural light into the cells.
Standard Minimum
Rules for the Treatment
of Prisoners (SMRTP)
All accommodation
provided for the use
of prisoners and in
particular all sleeping
accommodation shall
meet all requirements of
health, due regard being
paid to climatic conditions
and particularly to cubic
content of air, minimum
floor space, lighting,
heating and ventilation.
(iii) In order to maintain cleanliness and
hygiene, PDRM should consider measures such as appointing contractors to clean
the interior of the lock-up cells without compromising security.
(iv) The budget allocation for meals should be increased and standardised for all lock-ups
in the country in order to provide sufficient food for the detainees. Detainees must have
access to clean water at all times and be given a diet as recommended by the MOH.
(v)
It is recommended for the authorities to build more centralised lock-ups to avoid
overcrowding in the smaller lock-ups. In addition, the other enforcement agencies
such as the IMM, RMCD, MMEA, and the various religious enforcement authorities
should have better coordination with PDRM to avoid overcrowding.
(vi) Periodic medical screening for police personnel is also recommended, especially for
those involved in the processing of detainees. Such personnel must also be provided
with equipment such as masks, gloves, and sanitizers.
(vii) The workload for IOs should be reviewed to avoid overburdening them. The IOs involved
in active investigations should have minimal involvement in other programmes or
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