Matthias Chang not placed with HIV/TB patient - Prisons Dept

The allegation by lawyer Matthias Chang that he is placed in a detention cell with an HIV and tuberculosis (TB) patient is inaccurate, said Prisons Department deputy director (Prisons Policy) Supri Hashim.

Supri said Chang was remanded at the Sungai Buloh Prison and he was placed at the prison clinic on the recommendation of the medical officer who treated him.

He stressed that each prisoner would have to undergo health screening and they are placed separately according to prison procedures and health control of all prisoners.

"So prisoners recommended by the medical officer will be placed at the prison clinic for monitoring and treatment.

"Remand prisoners are placed separately from prisoners confirmed to be HIV and TB patients," he said in a statement today.

Supri said treatment of prisoners with TB and HIV would only be handled by medical officers, assistant medical officers and prison officers only.

"There were no instructions or compulsion made by the Prisons Department for Matthias Chang to assist other sick prisoners at the prison clinic," he said.

The media had earlier reported that Chang had alleged that he was placed in the same cell with a detainee suffering from HIV and TB.

Chang told the High Court on Thursday when protesting against the court's decision to turn down the applications by him and former Batu Kawan UMNO division vice head Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan to be released on interim bail while awaiting their cases to be mentioned on Nov 18.

Chang, 65, and Khairuddin, 53, are facing charges of carrying out sabotage against the country's banking and financial services at five locations from June 28 to Aug 26 under Section 124L of the Penal Code (Act 547), read together with Section 34 of the same code, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years upon conviction.