The defence witness in the "false news" trial of Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez today told the court today that one of his Bangladeshi inmates in the Semenyih detention camp died after suffering in pain for more than two weeks.

"His whole body was swollen - his arms, legs, knees, face and stomach," said Zakir Hossain, 37, who was detained in Kajang's Semenyih camp for illegal immigrants six years ago.

He, however, could not recall the deceased inmate's name, but said that he was between 40 to 45 years old.

He added that he tried to get medical help from the police who ran the camp.

"When I told the police, the reply was, 'If the doctor comes, you can explain to him.' The policeman knew how sick he was because he had seen him. The sick inmate told police, 'I'm very sick, I can't move my hands and legs. Please call a doctor..."

Zakir told magistrate Juliana Mohamad that he asked the police to get a doctor about a week before the sick inmate passed away.

"He was in pain and he sometimes screamed, 'My whole body is painful, please help me.' He cried. I couldn't do much, but gave some consoling words that he would get well one day. I didn't think he would die because I thought the doctor would visit him," he added.

"Seven to eight days before he died, he could move his body slightly but with a lot of effort. He could eat with other's help. Someone had to carry him to the toilet," he recalled.

Zakir said that the sick inmate's condition got worse, and he was told of his death five to seven minutes after he passed away.

"He died in Block C, late in the evening. I saw his body. It was lying on the floor. His face was not covered.

"All those inmates who were there were crying upon seeing the body. Then the police came and took the body away," Zakir said.

Asked by defence counsel M. Puravalen as to who carried the body away, Zakir replied, "The Bangladeshi inmates. He was not wrapped up."

He added that the inmates then offered prayers for the dead inmate the next day.

"He was a Muslim. One Bangladeshi inmate led the prayers. It is the last prayer that one offers when a Muslim passes away," Zakir said.

He added that another inmate then occupied the dead inmate's space in the block.

"The place was cleaned. When a person passed away, normally we cleaned that place once the body was taken away," he said.

Earlier, Zakir told the court that he also witnessed other inmates being punished.

Recalling one such incident, Zakir said he saw other inmates had been forced to masturbate, on seven to eight occasions.

He also recalled witnessing inmates being beaten up.

Zakir said that he did lodge a complaint about the mental and physical trauma he went through in the camp, to a Bangladeshi human rights non-governmental organisation, Ioain Shalish Kendra (ISK).

"I did not want to achieve anything out of it. I just went there to explain the physical and mental trauma I went through in Malaysia," he said.

Zakir is the third former detainee to testify in the trial. He told the court yesterday that a policeman forced him to masturbate as punishment for coming out of his quarters to urinate at night.

When the trial resumed this morning, he told the court that two policemen watched him masturbate.

He however said that he could only recall the first policeman's name.

"His name was Mohamad Ali. He is taller than me, about 5 feet 7 to 8 inches, and physically stronger than me. He could be between 45 to 50 years old," he said.

When asked by Puravalen whether he could identify Mohamed Ali if he was produced in court, Zakir said "yes".

At this point, the defence counsel made an application to the magistrate for a list of all police personnel on duty in the Semenyih camp for the months of February to April, 1995 to be produced.

Deputy public prosecutor Ganeson Somasundram in response, asked the court to reserve the answer from the prosecution to allow him to discuss the matter with certain quarters.

Magistrate Juliana then allowed the prosecution to reserve its response till tomorrow morning.

Later, Zakir added that Mohamed Ali was laughing when he was masturbating.

"He was laughing at that time and asking me to finish it quickly. When he was laughing, I felt that I was in a zoo and I was an animal. Only animals can do this, this is beyond human being's perception to force another human being to do so (masturbate)," he said.

Fernandez is being charged with "maliciously publishing false news" after she released a memorandum about tortures and deaths in the illegal immigrants detention camps at a press conference in August, 1995.

The women rights activist and KeADILan supreme council member faces three years in prison if convicted. She is currently out on bail.

The trial, which began in June, 1996, is the longest ongoing trial in the country's legal history. It entered its 241st day today.

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