Tight control needed at NS camps for detainees, govt told

 

The government plans to convert National Service camps into temporary detention centres. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The government’s plan to convert National Service camps and other such facilities into temporary detention centres to curb the spread of Covid-19 will not work if strict procedures are not enforced, says the Malaysian Medical Association.

Its president Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said it was a good idea to house detainees in the camps, as most Covid-19 clusters in the country involved people in detention centres or immigration depots due to overcrowding.

However, he stressed that the move must be accompanied with tight surveillance, otherwise authorities would never be able to control the number of infections in these centres.

“National Service camps are quite big and located all over the country, so it will be good for the detainees. But just because there is ample space, it doesn’t mean that they should be allowed to loiter around, movement still has to be controlled,” he told FMT.

Putrajaya had previously announced it would move detainees convicted for minor offences to facilities such as National Service camps and Kem Bina Negara, which will be rented by the police, immigration and prison authorities.

The decision to establish temporary detention centres was to ensure prisoners and detainees could practise physical distancing and to prevent further spread of the virus in prisons and depot centres.

Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy chief executive Azrul Mohd Khalib saw the repurposing of the camps as a positive development, saying it ensured those with high risks towards serious diseases would be able to receive the necessary care and treatment.

“A concern is that it will require additional resources and manpower, which we may not be able to allocate adequately,” said Azrul.

He also questioned whether National Service camps would be able to meet the existing requirements of a detention facility, along with housing low-risk patients.

Commenting on ways the government could reduce the spread of infections among undocumented migrants, Azrul said protecting the community should always be the main priority.

“Viruses do not discern whether you hold an IC, passport or no documentation. Because migrant communities live and work among us, protecting them means protecting others as well.”

Subramaniam noted that many undocumented migrants had contributed to the high number of daily cases in the country, and suggested that some form of amnesty be granted to encourage people to get tested for the virus.

Human rights activist Adrian Pereira of North-South Initiative agreed, saying the temporary detention centres were not a long-term solution and that Putrajaya still had to address its migrant policies.

While the government has attempted to legalise undocumented migrant workers, Pereira said there were still many obstacles and questions surrounding the recalibration programme.

“Community leaders have told us that they are still afraid to come forward. We have advised them to seek medical health if they are sick, or to get tested at private clinics but the possible consequences of arrest and detention has put them in a tough position,” he said. - FMT