Severe overcrowding at the Taiping prison placed pressure on both inmates and warders, contributing to alleged abuse earlier this year, the Suhakam inquiry heard today.
Perak police criminal investigation chief Luqman Rahman told the panel that cells originally built for one prisoner were now holding up to seven, with only a single bucket to share for human waste use.
Luqman said parts of the prison had been declared unsafe by the public works department, leaving authorities with no option but to cram inmates into fewer cells.
“During the British era, one cell was for one person. Now we have to put seven people in one cell.
“The upper floors cannot be used, and prison authorities have no choice. This is not just about prisons. Police lock-ups face the same problem,” he said.
He said the pressure caused by overcrowding contributed directly to the Jan 17 incident, when more than 100 inmates were allegedly assaulted by some 60 prison wardens during a relocation exercise.
Suhakam is investigating the alleged abuse, which is believed to have resulted in the death of one inmate and injuries to several others.
