The Home Ministry has explained that authorities placed arrested refugees under prolonged detention in immigration depots to serve as a "lesson" for other migrants to not enter the country illegally.

Malay-daily Utusan Malaysia quoted its minister Hamzah Zainudin as refuting criticisms that ill-treatment of refugees in detention had led to the recent mass breakout of 528 refugees from the Sungai Bakap immigration depot.

Six people - including women and children - died while...