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.

"For example, the bail for theft under Section 379 Penal Code is a maximum of RM5,000, which proves to be beyond the affordability level of their (suspects) family members.

"They also claimed that postponements sometimes takes as long as 10 months," he said.

Apart from Hamdan, the Suhakam delegation comprised investigations director Mohd Nasir Hadi and two secretariat staff, who also visited the Kamunting Detention Camp and Hospital Bahagia Tanjung Rambutan in Perak o­n Saturday.

Overwhelming crowd

They had visited the Penang Prison and six lock-ups in the state before moving o­n to the Alor Setar and Taiping prisons o­n Monday, thus covering the incarceration facilities in the northern region.

Suhakam recommended that the courts in Alor Star expedite the hearing of remand cases, not to impose too high a bail so that suspects' family members are not unnecessarily burdened and to consider fines as an alternative to jail terms for petty crimes.

Suhakam also found several of those convicted under the syariah laws who had been placed in Penang and Alor Star prisons for long periods.

"They end up serving a longer jail term because they fail to settle the accompanying fine.

"We met two such cases, o­ne involving a young mother in prison for more than six months with her two-month-old baby, and the other of a 17-year-old student whose family 'ignored' the fine after she was found guilty of committing khalwat (close proximity)," said Hamdan.

Suhakam recommended that those convicted under syariah laws be placed in a special place for moral rehabilitation instead of serving penal time.

"Serving prison time with the other convicts is unsuitable because these people have been convicted for moral wrongdoings," he said.

Hamdan also noted that the Penang, Alor Star and Taiping prisons were bursting at the seams, having more than double the gazetted maximum capacity of inmates.

"Penang was gazetted for 1,200 prisoners but now holds almost 2,500 while Alor Star is touching 2,000 when it is gazetted for o­nly 950. Taiping has more than 2,300 inmates despite being gazetted for over 1,300."

Staff shortage

A preliminary statement from Suhakam o­n the visits of detention centres explained that the focus in Hospital Bahagia Tanjung Rambutan was o­n the Forensic Ward which housed patients who were referred there by the courts for observation or ordered to be detained at the ward.

Staff shortage and problems of patients not being claimed by their families is quite apparent because the families are ignorant of the procedures for patients in the Forensic Ward, said Suhakam in a statement.

Suhakam's visit to the Kamunting Detention Camp was stated as mainly to get an update o­n the Al-Maunah and reformasi detainees serving time under the Internal Security Act.

The statement noted that detainees are still not allowed to perform Friday prayers in compliance with the religious edict issued by the National Fatwa Council, making it non-mandatory for detainees.

Suhakam is trying to appeal to the goodwill of the Perak Mufti so that these detainees can perform the Friday prayers.

Suhakam has also recommended that camp authorities supply computers to detainees and allow access for as long as necessary for educational purposes after hearing complaints that detainees were o­nly allowed o­ne or two hours access a day.

Hamdan said Suhakam will request the relevant authorities for full details o­n all the matters raised during the visit as part of its follow-up investigations preceding further recommendations.