MPs, senators across the aisle unite over prison reform

A committee comprising MPs and senators from both the government and opposition has been established to study ways to resolve the issue of overcrowded prisons and detention centres.

This comes as such centres have become epicentres of Covid-19 outbreaks due to how their cramped conditions allow for little physical distancing.

The human rights commission (Suhakam) previously estimated that such centres were at least 40 percent over-capacity. Prisons in the country can only take 53,830 people but have 72,903 inmates while immigration detention centres can only take 12,530 people but have 15,163 detainees.

The bipartisan Joint Select Committee on the Reform of Prisons and Detention Centres comprises Rohani Abdul Karim (Batang Lupar MP), Ramli Mohd Nor (Cameron Highlands MP) and senator Vell Paari from the government.

The opposition lawmakers who are part of the initiative are Nurul Izzah Anwar (Permatang Pauh MP), Mohd Azis Jamman (Sepanggar MP) and senator Liew Chin Tong.

In a statement last night, Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker and Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said announced that the committee held its first meeting on Tuesday (Dec 8).

“This committee has been set up at the right time seeing that high numbers of Covid-19 infections have been recorded at prisons - more than 7,000 cases (have been recorded) and this excludes the 560 reported cases involving prison staff.

“Also, the number of detainees in prisons exceeds the capacity of prisons. This is very worrying and this needs immediate attention and action to be resolved,” she said.

The committee’s meetings will involve stakeholders while Universiti Malaya’s Centre for Excellence for Research in Aids (Ceria) - a unit headed by infectious diseases expert Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman - will serve as its secretariat.

READ MORE: Indonesian, M'sian human rights commissions want detention centre reform

At its second meeting chaired by Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim yesterday, the committee agreed to form a caucus to resolve both overcrowding and Covid-19 outbreaks in prisons and detention centres.

Government newswire Bernama reported him saying that the caucus will meet with the relevant ministers after the present Dewan Rakyat sitting ends to discuss what measures can be taken.

Meanwhile, Azalina noted that this was the first time a committee had been set up under Standing Order 79 of the Dewan Negara.

The standing order stipulates that the committee must be chaired by the Dewan Negara president and comprise six appointed members. It does not have the power to summon any witnesses unless the senate grants it such powers.