Keadilan and PRM are concerned with the tremendous increase of women prisoners as seen from the visitational report of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia's (Suhakam) recent visit to the Kajang Women's Prison.

Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her PRM counterpart Dr Syed Husin Ali said the more than 1,000 women held in cramped conditions increase their vulnerability to abuse, violence and diseases.

Referring to Suhakam's report that more than 70% were foreigners, both leaders said the sudden increase of women sent to prison was due to the aggressive enforcement of the amended Immigration Act which allows for detention of foreigners without valid papers.

"We believe that a large number of these women were arrested during the aggressive raids conducted at various places prior to the NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) summit to project an image of a 'clean' society," they said in a joint statement in conjunction with the International Women's Day celebration today.