Authorities in charge of the temporary immigration detention centre in Menggatal, Sabah, have yet to relocate 43 Filipino children being held there, according to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).

Commissioner Prof Hamdan Adnan said he will be visiting the centre next week to follow up on a check last Wednesday.

This will be to ascertain the latest situation as he has only received "minimal updates", although he was told the state immigration director had visited the centre today.

However when contacted later this evening an officer at the centre revealed that Suhakam's recommendations have been heeded and the children - who have been detained for the past two weeks - were placed in separate detention blocks today.

"Thirty eight children below the age of 12 have been given their own blocks while the others remain with family. There were some discrepancies with the number of children as some are not the age they claim to be," said officer in charge Inspector Tadius Goding.

Meanwhile, Hamdan reiterated his call to separate the children who are being detained along with adults who are not their relatives, saying they should be moved to a more suitable place.

He urged the state welfare department to move them to a children's home or place them in separate detention quarters.

The children, aged between four and 15, were detained in Kota Kinabalu when found loitering without a guardian. They were working as shoe-shiners , newspaper vendors, baggage carriers and sellers of four-digit lottery results slips.

"I will also follow up on the Sabah chief minister's statement which said he would offer any assistance he could," Hamdan said, noting that statements should be accompanied by action.

Identity issues

Suhakam's office in Sabah is also following up on grievances registered during the visit to the detention centre. Letters are being sent to relevant agencies to look into the problems highlighted.

Hamdan said he would meet with the state registration department to verify claims by some of the children, who said they have Malaysian birth certificates.

"They have shown me their birth certificates. I'm not an expert, so I cannot say if these are valid papers, but I plan to get answers next week," he said.

"If they are Malaysian nationals, they should not be detained. Even if they are not Malaysians, the manner in which they are being held contravenes international law."

On this matter, Tadius said that the certificates have been taken for screening to ascertain its validity.

Under Article 22 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children, minors have certain rights and must be given special protection, including being housed separately from adults who are not family members. Malaysia is a signatory to the treaty.

Hamdan said he would also look into the situation of an adult Filipino, suspected to be suffering from leprosy, who is being detained at the Menggatal centre. The man is being kept away from other detainees, but it is unclear if he has been receiving medical attention pending deportation.

Suhakam has written to the health ministry, requesting that he be quarantined and provided medical treatment.

Hamdan's visit followed complaints from the Indonesian Consul in Sabah, among others, who claimed that Indonesian were being detained at the centre for a long time.