CHAPTER 1 improve the condition of Juru Immigration Detention Centre while it is still being used, particularly to improve the hygiene of the the male detention blocks; to work with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to ensure that a medical officer is placed at all immigration detention centres and that medical facilities including medicine are adequately supplied to the centres; and to revise the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of immigration detention centres to ensure that they are at least on par with the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the Lock-Up Rules 1953; and to emulate the prison system by appointing a visiting justice to monitor conditions of immigration detention centres. Last year, the Commission had requested several sets of data including statistics on deaths in lock-ups, prisons, and immigration detention centres. The Commission had made similar requests to the respective authorities to obtain the data for this year. At the time of writing, the Commission has yet to receive the statistics for 2016 from the RMP. Table 3: Number of Deaths in Detention in 2015 and 2016 PLACE/YEAR Prisons27 2015 2016 25228 26929 Immigration Detention Centres30 82 35 Police Lock-Ups31 12 NA Although the causes of death were mostly related to disease, (and, according to the Immigration Department, the foreign detainees had contracted such diseases prior to their detention) the Commission is disturbed by the high number of deaths in places of detention. It definitely requires attention by the Government, especially with regard to improving the conditions and healthcare system in places of detention. 4. PEACEFUL PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES AND RALLIES The Commission monitored four public assemblies during the course of the year. Although the monitored assemblies went on well, the Commission is mindful that there had been unreasonable intimidations made by the authorities and rival groups to discourage people from joining assemblies that protest against the Government. The arrests made by the Police before and after the BERSIH 5 rally and the disciplinary actions taken against students who had participated in the ‘Tangkap MO1’ assembly by certain universities are, in the opinion of the Commission, unjustifiable. 27 28 29 30 31 Source: Prison Department of Malaysia Out of 252, only 3 died either in Prison or Parole halfway house while the 249 died at hospital/clinic while receiving treatment. Out of 269, only 5 died either in Prison or Parole halfway house while the 264 died at hospital/clinic while receiving treatment. Source: Immigration Department of Malaysia Source: Royal Malaysian Police SUHAKAM ANNUAL REPORT 2016 61 suhakam 2new.indd 61 3/23/17 5:54 PM