Several murder suspects and those involved in petty crime cases, including a number of young prisoners aged below 21, have been remanded in the Alor Star prison in Kedah for nearly five years, revealed the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) today.

Suhakam complaints and inquiry working group chairperson Prof Mohd Hamdan Adnan said at least four remand prisoners interviewed had claimed to have been there for a period of two to five years.

"Two of them are young prisoners charged for murder and drug trafficking while the two other young adults were believed to be involved in petty crimes," he said when contacted for the preliminary findings of the weekend visit.

"We do not have the total number of such cases yet and will request the details from the prison authorities," he added.

Hamdan, who also heads Suhakam's visitorial sub-working group, said the remand prisoners claimed they could not afford the high bail and were clueless as to why their cases have been postponed repeatedly.