Contradictory claims still surround the situation in Johor's Simpang Renggam detention centre today with non-governmental organisations saying that about 300 inmates - all held without trial - are still on strike while prison authorities refuse to elaborate on the matter except to say that "all is clear" at the centre.

Contacted today after he visited the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) office in Kuala Lumpur, NGO Suara Warga Pertiwi coordinator V Selvam said the strike has moved into day six with the inmates involved still refusing food and water.

"There have been no drop-outs while 10 have been hospitalised in Johor's Kluang Hospital. One of them is in critical condition but is refusing medical treatment," said Selvam who last visited the centre yesterday.

A call to the hospital confirmed that inmate Balakrishnan Appala Naidu - former MIC branch chairperson - was still warded but the hospital authorities declined to reveal anything except to say that a letter from the prison warden was needed for clearance to visit the patient.

'All clear'

The prison director was not available for comment when malaysiakini called the centre this afternoon but an officer said the present situation at the centre was "all clear".

The local media also reported today that only one of 234 hunger strikers was still protesting.

The strike was launched on Nov 12 because the inmates were protesting against "very poor living conditions which continue to deteriorate" and against their detention without trial, said Selvam.

They have also sought a meeting with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is internal security minister.

"I went to the centre on the day the strike began to see them and collect memorandum from the detainees to pass on to the press and other relevant parties," said Selvam.

Along with representatives from other NGOs, Selvam approached Suhakam this morning in a bid to get the human rights body to visit the centre and check on the inmates.

However no commissioner was present at Suhakam today.

Family turned away

Selvam also accused the prison authorities of lying to family members of inmates who were asked to visit the centre but were denied entry when they reached there.

"There was a ploy by the authorities when they asked the families to visit the inmates on Nov 16 but when they got there they were not allowed in and were turned away.

"It seems clear to the authorities that the inmates are passing on information and reports to the press, so they created this ploy to appear to the public that they were allowing visits," he claimed.

Selvan also asserted that the prison authorities who had initially denied there was a strike have also been denying all other accusations and are continuing to restrict the flow of information from within the prison walls.

The inmates are being held under the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance, under which the government can detain suspects for two years to preserve public order or prevent violence.

The Simpang Renggam strike is the second major hunger strike at detention centres over the past three months. In September, over 100 inmates in Semenyih's immigration detention centre who were asylum seekers also protested for three days against their living conditions and continued incarceration.