Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been urged to immediately allow contact visits between prisoners and their family members.

“I call upon Zahid and the government to immediately direct all prisons in Malaysia to allow contact visits between prisoners and family members,” said PKR lawmaker N Surendran in a statement today.

“This must be done not only in compliance with the law, but also in the name of justice and simple humanity.”

Surendran was referring to a recent event organised by the Kajang Prison, which saw 50 selected prisoners allowed contact visits with their family members.

“Normally, no physical contact is allowed during prison visits, and family members must communicate through a transparent partition using a telephone.

“It is shocking and unacceptable that families are not allowed contact visits in Malaysian prisons,” he said.

The Padang Serai MP said some form of physical contact is allowed between prisoners and their family members in other prison systems, such as in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

“Why not in Malaysia? Denial of physical contact between prisoners and their families is unnecessary, harsh and psychologically traumatic.

“It has a severe adverse effect upon both the prisoners and the family members, particularly the young ones,” added Surendran.

'Laws don't prevent contact'

The lawyer said the Prison Act 1995 and Prison Regulations 2000 do not bar contact visits.

“In other words, there is no legal basis for the current practice of preventing physical contact during visits.”

Denial of contact breached Article 5 of the Federal Constitution, he said.

“A prisoner does not lose his constitutional rights when he is convicted and jailed; only his right to movement is curtailed,” he said.

Malaysiakini has contacted the Prisons Department and is awaiting its response on the matter.