Hamdan: Kamunting riot probe completed
Claudia TheophilusPublished: Jan 17, 2005 6:04 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
Two investigation reports on the alleged rioting last month at the Kamunting detention camp in Taiping, Perak, have been sent to the Attorney-General's Chambers, a human rights commissioner said today.
Police have wrapped up their investigations into complaints of physical abuse of ISA detainees during a spot check at the Kamunting camp last December.
Two investigation reports on the alleged rioting last month at the Kamunting detention camp in Taiping, Perak, have been sent to the Attorney-General's Chambers, a human rights commissioner said today.
Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) complaints and inquiries working group chairperson Prof Hamdan Adnan said the investigations were conducted under Section 148 (rioting) and section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Penal Code.
In total, 20 Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees are suspected of being directly or indirectly involved in the riot, said to have occurred during a spot check by the Prisons Security Unit from Kedah and Penang between Dec 8 and 10 last year.
Hamdan said six Indonesians, four Malaysians and two Filipinos were probed for direct participation in the incident, and the rest for indirect involvement.
On complaints that the detainees had been placed in solitary confinement, Hamdan said each detainee was put in a normal cell by himself.
"We were shown a solitary confinement cell and it is a terrible place. There is only a small hole and it is dark," he said.
The detainees, he said, were also unable to identify the alleged aggressors at a police identification parade.
Hamdan said the incident has resulted in general depression among all 108 detainees at the camp.
Larut Matang and Selama district police headquarters special branch chief DSP Idris Mon could not be reached for confirmation today.
Situation being monitored
A Suhakam team visited the camp last Thursday to follow-up on a number of complaints lodged by the wives of the ISA detainees a week earlier.
Hamdan, who led the team, said the wives had alleged that camp officials were "picking fights" with their husbands.
"We were told that the first investigation report for rioting was sent to the AG's Chambers two weeks after the incident," he said when contacted in Keningau, Sabah, today.
"We spent three hours at the camp and two more at the Larut Matang and Selama police station discussing the matter with the relevant officers.
"The camp authorities told us that about 70 police reports had been lodged by the detainees and their family members."
Suhakam's latest visit was conducted after the wives of several detainees complained about the provocation and denial of medication.
"They wanted us to check on their husbands' conditions following the rioting incident."
Hamdan said the camp authorities have since refuted the allegations and had insisted that all camp officials are disciplined.
"We have reminded the authorities about the rules and have asked them to discipline their officers. We will monitor the issue of denial of medication to the detainees," he added.
Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) complaints and inquiries working group chairperson Prof Hamdan Adnan said the investigations were conducted under Section 148 (rioting) and section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Penal Code. In total, 20 Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees are suspected of being directly or indirectly involved in the riot, said to have occurred during a spot check by the Prisons Security Unit from Kedah and Penang between Dec 8 and 10 last year.
Hamdan said six Indonesians, four Malaysians and two Filipinos were probed for direct participation in the incident, and the rest for indirect involvement.
On complaints that the detainees had been placed in solitary confinement, Hamdan said each detainee was put in a normal cell by himself.
"We were shown a solitary confinement cell and it is a terrible place. There is only a small hole and it is dark," he said.
The detainees, he said, were also unable to identify the alleged aggressors at a police identification parade.
Hamdan said the incident has resulted in general depression among all 108 detainees at the camp.
Larut Matang and Selama district police headquarters special branch chief DSP Idris Mon could not be reached for confirmation today.
Situation being monitored
A Suhakam team visited the camp last Thursday to follow-up on a number of complaints lodged by the wives of the ISA detainees a week earlier. Hamdan, who led the team, said the wives had alleged that camp officials were "picking fights" with their husbands.
"We were told that the first investigation report for rioting was sent to the AG's Chambers two weeks after the incident," he said when contacted in Keningau, Sabah, today.
"We spent three hours at the camp and two more at the Larut Matang and Selama police station discussing the matter with the relevant officers.
"The camp authorities told us that about 70 police reports had been lodged by the detainees and their family members."
Suhakam's latest visit was conducted after the wives of several detainees complained about the provocation and denial of medication.
"They wanted us to check on their husbands' conditions following the rioting incident."
Hamdan said the camp authorities have since refuted the allegations and had insisted that all camp officials are disciplined.
"We have reminded the authorities about the rules and have asked them to discipline their officers. We will monitor the issue of denial of medication to the detainees," he added.
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