Seven children were among the 315 deaths reported in immigration detention depots nationwide between Jan 1, 2021, and Dec 31, 2022, according to Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution.
The seven children who died were five boys and two girls, he said.
The other deaths include 268 male detainees and 40 female detainees.
“Among the causes of death that were identified by the hospital are Covid-19 infections, tuberculosis, heart and kidney illnesses, cancer and lung infections (pneumonia).
“Handling of cases of deaths is done according to the legal procedure where a police report will be made by the officer on duty when the death happened, aside from the hospital that will issue a medical report explaining the cause of death and a confirmation of death made by a coroner’s court judge to determine there was no torture or criminal element that occurred,” Saifuddin said.
He said this in a written parliamentary reply to Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi, who asked for the number of deaths in immigration depots according to citizenship and depot locations for 2021 and 2022.
It was reported in late July 2022 that six male children had died in immigration depots between 2020 and July 12, 2022.
It is unclear if the deaths of the seven children, as revealed by Saifuddin, include some of those reported earlier due to the overlap in the time period of the data provided.
Reports from various sources, including the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta, have alleged that conditions in the immigration depots are “appalling”.
Saifuddin also recently announced that the government was undergoing efforts to move children being held in immigration detention into external shelters. - Mkini
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