Immigration Offenders Should Be Sent Back Without Trial

www.suaram.net

TAIPING, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has suggested that immigration offenders arrested by the Malaysian authorities be sent back without having to go through court trials, to overcome prison overcrowding. Suhakam Commissioner Datuk Khalid Ibrahim said the influx of immigration offenders, currently numbering almost 40 per cent of total inmates, had caused serious prison overcrowding.

He said the problem would not be resolved even if the government increased the number of prisons or introduced the parol system that allowed for the early release of inmates on condition that they performed community service.

"The problem will not be resolved unless these illegal immigrants are sent home without having to go through court trials," he told reporters at the meet-the-people session at the Taiping Golf Resort, here today.

Khalid said the current system of handling illegal immigrants was too long-winding -- starting with their arrests, followed by the court trials which could take up to six months, before they were sentenced to about six months' jail, prior to their repatriations.

Khalid said prison overcrowding was not healthy as it could create problems such as the spread of infectious disease or fighting among inmates, which could jeopardise the safety of officers on duty.

"The waiting period for the trial will also raise human rights issues," he said.

The government would also incur huge cost of providing basic necessities such as food and clothings, besides other costs such as electricity and water charges, he said.

Another Suhakam commissioner, Siva Subramaniam urged the government to employ more prison staff.

He said Suhakam's visits to 48 prisons and detention centres nationwide last year, found that prison staff were under pressure because of heavy workloads due to the ever increasing number of inmates.