Foreign Ministry will look into plight of M'sians detained overseas

PARLIAMENT | The Foreign Ministry pledged to address the issue of Malaysians detained in foreign prisons, including those on Indonesian death row, and ensure legal representation is provided.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mohamad Alamin noted that courts around the world will request that a person charged with an offence punishable by death be represented by a lawyer while on trial.

“On the issue raised, I take note, and we will look into it,” he said in response to Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (Pakatan Harapan-Balik Pulau).

Bakhtiar earlier interjected Mohamad’s speech and raised how Indonesia assisted its citizens detained here, contrasting that with how Wisma Putra handles Malaysians who are imprisoned across the republic.

“If that (legal assistance) is not there, we will take action to assign or propose lawyers to represent our citizens,” the deputy minister said.

Mohamad was giving his winding-up speech during the Foreign Ministry committee stage debates under Budget 2024.

He also assured that Malaysia’s consulates abroad are always ready to assist Malaysians in detention - to ensure the fulfilment of their rights and access to justice.

He added that this includes consular officers who hold watching briefs at any related trials.

Earlier in his debate, Bakhtiar asked Mohamad for statistics on the number of Malaysians detained overseas, pointing out that many were said to be detained in Indonesian prisons and on death row.

“Many of them were denied a fair trial due to problems including language issues or they were unrepresented,” he said.

Previously, Bakhtiar told Malaysiakini he was informed of a case review filed in a West Jakarta court by lawyers from Indonesia’s Community Legal Institute, acting on behalf of Tor Eng Tart who is originally from Balik Pulau.

MP reveals role in helping Penang man on Indonesian death row

Penang man on Indonesian death row awaits fresh hope in case review

Kidnapped in Thailand: Being sold to human trafficking syndicates

Job scam: M’sian embassy to hasten repatriation of victims