The capacity of the prison system has been over-stretched, with correctional facilities now housing some 10,052 more prisoners than they were designed to accommodate.

Prime Minister and Internal Security Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, citing Prisons Department figures, said a total of 35,952 prisoners were being held at 36 prisons nationwide as at May 31.

"Based on their capacity, these prisons are only able to accommodate 25,900 people. This means that the (capacity is exceeded by) 10,052 prisoners or by 38.8 per cent," he said in a three-page written parliamentary reply to Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor).

The premier said that over-crowding has been exacerbated by the presence of 11,200 remand prisoners and 11,600 foreigners being held in the prisons.

The government is resolving the problems in different ways, including transferring inmates to less-crowded prisons, re-categorising the type of prisons, renovating prisons, and enhancing co-operation with the courts and the enforcement agencies to expedite judicial proceedings.

Parole under study

Between January and April, a total of 3,000 prisoners were transferred, Abdullah said.

In relation to the re-categorising of prisons, he explained that the ministry plans to place prisoners under special rehabilitation programmes based on the offences and sentences.

Under the Eighth Malaysia Plan, the government has approved the building of 11 new prisons, of which two have been completed in Poko Sena (Kedah) and Tapah (Perak). Two more are in the final stages of construction.

As a long-term measure, Abdullah said the government has implemented a human development plan offering counseling and motivational courses for prisoners, so that they do not become repeat offenders.

He said the ministry is studying a proposal to implement the parole system, under which prisoners can be released before they have completed serving their sentence, on condition that they pledge to behave.

The Prisons Department is in the process of finalising a proposal to implement community-based rehabilitation and establishing a compulsory attendance centre for those found guilty of relatively minor offences, as alternatives to their serving jail sentences.

Last October, Parliament was told that 425 prisoners had died during their incarceration between 2002 and July 2003. The monthly average for the first seven months of 2003 rose to 26.86 deaths per month, with 188 fatalities reported nationwide.

Murder cases

Rights watchdog Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) had expressed concern over the increasing figure in its annual human rights report released on Monday.

In another written reply to Karpal, Abdullah said 2,312 murder cases from 1994 to 2003 are pending disposal by the courts. A total of 5,245 of murder cases were referred to the courts during that period.

Karpal also received a written reply from Health Minister Dr Chua Soi Lek, who said 3,623 doctors had left government hospitals from 1993 up to last year, or an average of 329 doctors each year.

Chua said the doctors gave such reasons as they were setting up their own clinics or were joining private-sector hospitals, pursuing their studies, or had received offers to teach in tertiary institutes.