'Why no action over abuse of detainees?'

Puchong parliamentarian Gobind Singh Deo ( below ) has demanded immediate government attention to "alleged widespread abuse of detainees", based on claims in a UN Human Rights Working Group report.

“This is a big issue. It involves the integrity of Malaysia’s legal and detention systems. It is a very serious accusation.

"They (the government) should not wait for us to lodge police reports before they take action," he told a press conference at the Parliament lobby.

The working group, which will present its final report to the UN Human Rights Council next March, had cited such problems as torture of detainees and deaths in custody.

What has not helped, Gobind said, is that the government has professed ignorance of the situation, as indicated in a parliamentary reply by Deputy Home Minister Abu Seman Yusop ( left ) on June 23.

"I specifically quoted this report to him and he didn’t seem to know very much about it.

"It is very disturbing for a deputy minister to come to the Dewan (Rakyat) and say 'if you are unhappy, lodge police reports and then we will investigate'.

"From 2003-2007, (there were) 1,500 deaths. Why was no action taken?

"Why (is it that) until now, the minister is unable to give a report on the details? This is a serious matter (that) should be attended to, the ministry should respond.”

He said Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein should provide particulars of those who died, the causes of death, and what has been done about the situation.

"How many (were) foreigners (or) Malaysians, children or women?

"How (they died is) the most important (question)," said Gobind, who is a lawyer.

"They should start taking it seriously because we have complaints of deaths in police custody here (in Malaysia), like (the A Kugan case, photo left ), (while) Teoh Beng Hock (died under the watch of the anti-graft commission )."

Migrants abused

The report, compiled during a two-week visit by the working group, also covered the situation of undocumented migrants.

The working group said it recorded complaints that some detainees had been beaten up with weapons or tools or were punched, kicked or had dirty water thrown on them.

Some were held in small rooms without access to food, and were not informed of their right to consult a lawyer or to contact their family, it said.

As Malaysia has yet to ratify the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention, refugees and asylum-seekers are also among those detained, convicted and jailed.

Amnesty International (AI) had, on June 17, said that Malaysia is a " dangerous " place for refugees who are often abused, arrested and "treated like criminals".

There are nearly 90,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in the country, but AI estimates that the number of unregistered refugees lies at more than twice the official figure.

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