Following Muslim preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin’s alleged assault at Kajang Prison, lawyer Arun Kasi has urged the government to improve the safety and conditions at prisons nationwide.
Arun, who himself spent 30 days in the same jail for contempt of court charge, further suggested that closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras be installed to increase accountability.
“After having gone through prison and hearing many things about it while inside, I was not surprised to hear what Wan Ji said.
“Prisoners have to be treated as humans and something has to be done about their safety.
“There need to be CCTV cameras everywhere so if someone complains, people can actually watch what happened [...] prison is a completely closed off place. No one outside knows what is happening in there,” he said when contacted by Malaysiakini today.
Arun (above) has since submitted reports to Suhakam and the Bar Council urging their attention for his concerns.
“This is a serious matter which I leave to the government, Suhakam and Bar Council to undertake what they have to do,” he said.
During his brief internment for sedition, Wan Ji alleged that a prison warden had told him to remove his spectacles and remove his shirt before punching him as other wardens present laughed.
He claimed to have witnessed another inmate being assaulted this way, and further shared that prisoners were being served food that was unlikely to meet basic nutritional standards.
Wan Ji lodged a police report about the abuse and the Prisons Department is investigating the case.
Arun filed a formal complaint with Kajang Prison three weeks ago on the treatment he received but says he has yet to receive a reply.
He shared how there was limited access to drinking water and clean water and prisoners were often denied when they requested for them.
“I entered the prison at about 5 pm and was only able to get water the next morning at 9 am. I was sick and told some officers this and requested water but they said I could only get it the next day when water was given to all prisoners,” he told Malaysiakini.
According to Arun, the communal pool used by all inmates for drinking, showering and cleaning purposes would leak with little left by the end of the day. The tap water which filled it was often rust-brown in colour.
Bathroom facilities were also inadequate.
Of the four showers and three washbasins allocated to Arun and 29 other inmates, he said only two showers were functioning. - Mkini
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