KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — A report by global watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) released today has listed various incidents of violations and violence that it alleged happened in the Immigration Department’s depots here.
The report titled “We Can’t See the Sun: Malaysia’s Arbitrary Detention of Migrants and Refugees” among others quoted respondents alleging that some women detainees were asked to strip and show their used sanitary products before receiving replacements.
“Most women interviewed said that no sanitary products were provided. Some were able to request pads from visiting family members, while those with no visitors had to rely on other detainees or use torn clothing,” HRW said in its report.
The watchdog also claimed that women who gave birth at the immigration depots were not given postpartum care or diapers for their babies.
Advertisement
Additionally, it alleged that detainees had restricted access to drinking water and had to race to obtain it.
“Drinking water was on a first-come, first-serve basis. I could only get drinking water if I was quick. There were more than 200 people including children in the cell, and the water they provided wasn’t enough,” said the report, quoting a female migrant worker from Indonesia.
Another Indonesian migrant worker also alleged that detainees were given a gallon of muddy water to share between the five of them for bathing and drinking.
Advertisement
HRW also reported that scabies broke out in one of the overcrowded detention centres and the detainees were purportedly left untreated, and some were allegedly denied medication that did not come at the expense of the government.
“If anyone was sick, we had to report to the officer and then the officer would tell the doctor. But when we would tell the officers that someone was ill, we were ignored, unless that person was in critical condition,” the migrant worker told HRW.
HRW also reported that detainees have allegedly been beaten up by immigration officers using wooden planks, red bricks and batons, sometimes several times a day.
Those interviewed by the HRW said detainees would allegedly get beaten just for asking for more food, or a blanket for the cold. Other punishments allegedly included being hit with rubber pipes or batons; having to hold stress positions or hang off the wall “like a gecko,” being sent to an isolation block, having meals withheld, and doing squats and pushups.
Malay Mail is seeking comments from the Immigration Department and the Home Ministry over the accusations.
Malaysian law does not distinguish refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants. HRW is an independent human rights watchdog that investigates and reports on abuses happening all over the world and advocates for change.
The report today was based on interviews with over 40 people including former immigration detainees, family members, lawyers, humanitarian aid staff, and former immigration officials.
The names of former detainees and their family members have been replaced with pseudonyms for their protection.
Last month, Immigration Director-General Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said a total of 10,467 undocumented migrants have been detained out of 19,873 screened between January and February. A total of 4,639 have been repatriated, while 75 employers have been arrested for employing them.
