A top senior officer from the prisons department has admitted that existing facilities in prisons constructed in the 19th and 20th centuries do not conform to present-day international standards.
Deputy commissioner of prisons Hafidz Othman acknowledged during a Suhakam public inquiry today that facilities in several Malaysian prisons do not align with the 21st century global emphasis on prisoner rehabilitation.
“Prisons like (those in) Taiping, Seremban, Penang, Batu Gajah and Alor Setar were built during the pre-war (period) and with the main purpose of punishing convicts for wrongdoing.
“However, times have changed and governments are taking more humane approaches by providing them with basic amenities, healthcare, and space for activities,” he said.
Hafidz agreed that the bucket toilet system used in these older prisons was among the facilities that do not reflect the modern rehabilitation approach.
Presently, bucket toilets are placed inside the cells, with human waste disposed of manually each morning.
“This is the biggest problem for us. JKR (the public works department) has advised us that it is not feasible to build toilets inside the cells as the building (structure) is old and not safe,” he said.
Inquiry chairman Hishamudin Yunus then questioned why no proposal has been made by the prisons department and the home ministry for new prisons incorporating such facilities to be constructed.
Hafidz said the government had initially wanted to replace Taiping prison with a new facility in Tapah, but the proposal was abandoned following a surge in detainee and inmate numbers.
“(Presently) we have about 90,000 detainees and prisoners in all 43 prisons, and most of them are foreigners detained for not having valid documentation,” he said.
He said it would cost between RM300 million and RM500 million to build a new prison equipped with basic facilities.
Two blocks in Taiping prison unsafe
The inquiry also heard testimony from government surveyor Azlan Abdul Aziz, who said he and his team conducted inspections on Blocks B, C and E and the control posts at Taiping prison in 2022.
“We recommended that upgrading works be carried out and for Blocks B and E to be vacant as both blocks are not safe to be occupied,” Azlan, who is with Perak JKR, said.
“From my recollection, there was no application from Taiping prison to (JKR for) upgrading works there.”
He said he was unaware if inmates were later moved into Blocks B and E.
Azlan said Taiping prison was classified as a heritage site building and that consent was needed from the heritage commissioner before JKR or any contractor was allowed to carry out upgrade works.
He also said JKR previously recommended that toilets be built outside the buildings housing the prison cells, but the suggestion did not materialise because of “security reasons”.
“The home ministry informed us that the inmates are not allowed to leave their cells at nighttime.
“This bucket system is not hygienic,” he said.
He said he only came to know about the alleged assault in Block E this year when called up by Suhakam to testify.
Suhakam is investigating allegations that more than 100 inmates at the Taiping prison were assaulted by about 60 wardens during a relocation exercise from Hall B to Block E on Jan 17.
The inquiry, chaired by Hishamudin and commissioner Farah Nini Dusuki, is also examining claims that one inmate died and several others were injured as a result of the alleged abuse.
