Let Suhakam hold spot checks in prisons, govt urged

 

More than 60 prison wardens are alleged to be involved in attacks on over 100 inmates at Taiping prison earlier this year. (Facebook pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: 

A Suhakam commissioner has urged Putrajaya to allow the human rights commission to hold unannounced spot checks in prisons, following allegations of abuse at the Taiping prison where two inmates were reported to have died.

Human rights commissioner K Ragunath said spot checks were crucial to ensure inmates were not abused and that there were no cover-ups by prison officers.

K Ragunath.

“We have limited powers currently. While we can hold visits to lock-ups and access post-mortem reports, in cases like the Taiping prison riots where there was massive abuse and two prisoners died, we were denied access.

“The reason given was that it was for our safety and security,” he said at a forum organised by the Bar Council.

Ragunath, a lawyer by profession, said Suhakam currently needs to notify the prisons department in advance in order to visit a prison. This only gave prison wardens or officers time to clean up any evidence if abuse had been committed.

“On paper, bodies like the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC), Suhakam and the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission seem empowered, but in critical situations, we are helpless,” he said.

In January, Bukit Aman said it was investigating the alleged assault of more than 100 Taiping prison inmates by prison officers, which was believed to have led to the death of two detainees.

Ragunath also expressed concerns over abuses in immigration detention centres, which he described as “horrendous.”

“The worst abuses are in these facilities, especially against foreigners. Unlike the spotlight on police abuse, there is little accountability here.”

Sosma and crime bosses

Ragunath also repeated calls for a review of Sosma, the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012. He said the controversial law was formed with the initial aim of dismantling organised crime networks but currently the bulk of Sosma detainees came from poor families.

“Where are the statistics showing that major warlords have been arrested? How is this solving the problem of drugs, trafficking, and illegal gambling?” he said.

Ragunath, a former Bar Council president, said families of detainees held under Sosma continue to bear the brunt of the controversial law, with many struggling financially and emotionally while their loved ones remain detained for years while awaiting trial.

He also raised concerns over the IPCC, saying there was a lack of transparency over cases it probed, the nature of complaints reported and the overall accountability of the commission.

M Ramachelvam.

M Ramachelvam, the chairman of the Bar Council’s IPCC task force, called for its review to reinstate key provisions from the scrapped Independent Police Complaints of Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill.

“Unlike the proposed IPCMC, the current commission is not granted authority for search warrants, protection for investigative secrecy or broader search and investigation powers.

“This raises concerns about the commission’s ability to carry out independent investigations,” he said, while urging the home ministry to share statistics on the complaints received and resolved by the IPCC. - FMT