The government has been urged to release the 11 children, mothers and pregnant asylum seekers who are currently under detention.

Five non-governmental organisations made the call in a memorandum to Immigration Department director Wahid Md Don.

The memorandum was received by the department's enforcement division director Ishak Mohamed from rights group Suaram coordinator Chang Lih Kang in Putrajaya today.

The NGOs listed six demands. These were:

  • To immediately and unconditionally release from detention all asylum-seeker children, mothers, pregnant women and other vulnerable individuals.

  • To provide meaningful protection and appropriate assistance such as medical care to children and pregnant women in accordance with the obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (Cedaw).

  • To take appropriate measures to ensure full observation of the international human rights obligations under the CRC and Cedaw, and other relevant human rights instruments.

  • To strictly refrain from arresting and detaining children and women seeking asylum in Malaysia in future.

  • To cooperate with appropriate local and international agencies in protecting children and vulnerable women.

  • To support the ratification of the convention relating to the status of refugee and recognise the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia in the protection and care of refugees and asylum seekers.

    • Poor conditions

    The other NGOs which endorsed the memorandum were the Women's Aid Organisation (WAO), Tenaganita, Hakam and Amnesty International Malaysia (AIM).

    Meanwhile, Chang said the children, aged between two and 16, were mostly from Burma.

    "We remain gravely concerned about conditions in detention centers and prisons, detainees have reported problems of overcrowding, lack of adequate access to health care, unsanitary environments and abused by guards," he told reporters after handing over the memorandum.

    Chang said most of the children were detained in the Lenggeng camp in Negeri Sembilan.

    While, the pregnant women were namely, Thawm Hlei Mawi, Par Iang, Van Dim, Tha Chin Thluai and Sai Cin.

    "Malaysia cannot sit on the United Nations Human Rights council and violate the rights of the most vulnerable people in its own backyard," he added.