Some police lockups in the country are downright dirty and disgusting, said Malaysian Muslims Consumer Association (PPIM).

This, said PPIM chief Nadzim Johan, was inhumane and an embarrassment to Muslims.

PPIM special action force head Muhammad Yusuf Azmi described the Dang Wangi district police headquarters lockup, where he was once held, resembled a "pigsty" complete with "fossilised human faeces".

"It was mental and physical torture... Imagine performing ablution with your eye shut because of how dirty the floor is.

"The worst thing is the stench. Can you imagine sleeping next to several years worth of fossilised human faeces around you and breathing in the air?

"I'm sorry for the language used. But it truly was like living in a pig pen," he said.

Even Israeli jails are better

Yusuf said district police chiefs should try sleeping in their own lockups.

Another complainant Ramle Buang said he has spent time in lockups in Teluk Intan, Alor Setar, Kuala Muda and Sungai Petani and that the conditions were all bad.

"Sometimes it is small with 30 people to a cell. Urine and faeces were everywhere," said Ramle.

Another complainant Dr Noorazman Mohd Samsuddin claimed that he was jailed in Israel before and lockup conditions there were much better than in Malaysia.

"The jails were not that great, but at least it was clean. There were a lot of people and yet it was clean.

"Food was not great, but it was organised," said Noorazman.

Oversight body needed

Nadzim said the criminal justice system must be firm but those held in police detention must be subjected to humane treatment.

Yusuf said prisons are meant to reform a detainee, but lockup conditions will likely make a person worse come out worse than before.

Nadzim said that he hoped that an independent body would be set up as an oversight body for lockups.

"We are ready to help too if needed. We are not putting the blame on any party. We just hope to help solve this issue," he said.

Two days ago, the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) complained that the Ayer Molek police lockup was in a deplorable state and that police personnel who were working there were falling sick.