RM604M SPENT ON JAILING FOREIGNERS

KOTA KINABALU : The Government spent about RM604.8 million to manage non-Malaysian prisoners in four prisons in Sabah sfrom 2006 until October 2012.

Sabah Prisons Deputy Commissioner Kalbin Mohd Said, who testified as the 62nd witness before the Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal Immigrants in Sabah said the cost covered food, medical, dorm, clothes, electric, water, rehabilitation and others.

He said RM281,455,515 was spent on the Kota Kinabalu Prison Centre (Male), RM45,867,360 on the Kota Kinabalu Women Prison, RM112,873,695 on Sandakan Prison and RM163,884,270 on Tawau Prison.

To a question by conducting officer Dato Azmi Arrifin, Kalbin said statistics on Malaysian and non Malaysian prisoners, showed the number of non-Malaysian prisoners was larger in all prisons in Sabah including the Male Kota Kinabalu Prison Centre, Kota Kinabalu Women Prison, Sandakan Prison and Tawau Prison for the year 2006 until October 2012.

The statistics also showed that Filipinos made up the largest number followed by Indonesians in each of the prisons over the period.

Kalbin said according to the statistics, offences committed by them largely had to do with immigration offences, followed by national registration regulations, drugs, Penal Code, weapons and others.

He said the increase of prisoner numbers was that it caused congestion, increase in cost and health problems brought by non-Malaysian prisoners.

Kalbin said common ailments brought by the non-Malaysian prisoners were skin diseases and tuberculosis.

Another effect was that there were difficulties in carrying rehabilitation programmes as the place meant for it is used to house the prisoners.

A separate unit for hard core prisoners could also not be implemented due to be congestion.

The RCI hearing will resume on March 5-9 and again from March 18-21. (DE)