A Bangladeshi defence witness in the "false news" trial of Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez today told the magistrate court that he did not seek medical treatment while in detention at the Kemayan illegal immigrant camp for fear of being punished.

"Those who sought medical treatment were punished and that was why I did not try to seek medical treatment," Moron Mozumder, 44, said during cross-examination by deputy public prosecutor Ganesan Somasundram.

Mozumder had in his testimony earlier, said that he had fever for two days while in detention in one of the blocks of the camp.

Asked by Ganesan whether he heard that those who sought medical treatment were punished, Mozumder replied, "I did not hear. I saw with my own eyes."

He disagreed that there was a 24-hour medical centre in the camp and a medical assistant visited the camp at least once at week.

[Full report to follow]