The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has urged the Sabah authorities to expedite the process of verifying the status of child detainees in the state, to trace their guardians and provide them with the right to education.

Its commissioner Prof Hamdan Adnan also called on Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman to protect the rights of the children detained at the Menggatal temporary detention centre because of their 'unverified' status as they are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and other human rights violations.

In a statement today, Hamdan welcomed an assurance from Musa that the state government will be looking into the best solutions for child detainees in Sabah.

"In his meeting with the relevant authorities, it is hoped that the chief minister should take care to honour Malaysia's obligations as a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)," said Hamdan.

Last Wednesday, Hamdan led a Suhakam delegation to the camp after receiving complaints on several 'irregularities' there.

Separated now

According to him, the children were not in school and they were rounded up by the authorities after they were found roaming the streets.

There were children detained with other adults who were not family members while some claimed to possess Malaysian birth certificates which were taken away for verification.

However, these children have since been separated from the adults, said Suhakam officer in Sabah Jasmih Slamat, in accordance with Section 7 of the Juvenile Courts Act 1947.

"On my last visit to the centre two days ago there were 27 children, all boys. They were all housed separately from the adults. These children are 'unidentified' as they are not with their parents. Neither do they have documents," said Jasmih when contacted today.

The initial number of children held at the camp was 59, the majority being Filipinos.

Jasmih said he was informed by camp authorities that 213 Filipinos were deported on Wednesday.

"Some children may have left with their parents," he added.