208 deaths reported at immigration depots since 2018

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 208 deaths were recorded in immigration detention depots nationwide from 2018 to Feb 15 this year, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Home Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Mohamed Said said among the reasons for their deaths were due to septic shock, tuberculosis, severe pneumonia, lung infection, heart complication, dengue, diabetes, breathing difficulties, organ failure, as well as 25 cases due to COVID-19, and others.

"The government is always committed to providing the best services to detainees at the immigration depots by providing care and protection to them whilst in detention.

"The detention management procedures in the immigration depots have been included in the Director-General Immigration Standing Instructions on Administrative and Management of Immigration Depots," he said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was replying to a question from Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (BN-Pengerang), who wanted to know whether there had been any deaths in Immigration custody in the past five years and the measures taken to investigate and prevent such incidents.

Elaborating, Ismail said the Immigration Department through its cooperation with the Ministry of Health (MOH) has placed 25 assistant medical officers grade U29/32 at immigration depots nationwide to provide early medical care to detainees.

He added that the government was constantly making improvements during the upgrading works of the existing depots by providing suitable space and facilities for all detainees.

"For emergency and acute cases, the affected detainees will be sent to the nearest District Health Centre or Health Clinic. This is done according to the standard operating procedures set by the MOH," he said.

Ismail said the ministry continues to hold engagement sessions with Prison Departments, as well as with local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Suka Society and MyCare in the management of detainees' health.

Replying to a supplementary question from Lim Lip Peng (PH-Kepong), he said there are 18 immigration depots throughout the country equipped with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras for the safety of detainees and personnel.

-- BERNAMA