CREATING temporary jails for movement-control order (MCO) violators is a waste of taxpayer funds besides possibly allowing the spread of Covid-19, said a civil society group against custodial abuse and deaths.

Sentencing should also be the prerogative of the judiciary and not the government, Eliminating Deaths and Abuse in Custody Together (EDICT) said of Putrajaya’s move to create temporary prisons for MCO violators

The additional prisons will be operational from Thursday with Health Ministry staff on hand to provide checks, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said yesterday.

“The government has signalled to the judiciary that it expects them to sentence thousands of MCO violators to imprisonment. 

“EDICT again calls on the judiciary not to imprison MCO violators. EDICT further reminds the judiciary and the government that sentencing is the prerogative of the judiciary, not the government,” it said in a statement today.

The temporary jails could cause more harm with the potential for suicides, outbreaks of fighting and under the present circumstances, as new Covid-19 clusters.

“Each prisoner must be isolated until he is confirmed Covid-19 negative through testing. Only then can he be put in prison. If testing is not done, the prisons will become new Covid-19 clusters,” it added.

The government will also have to spend more on deploying wardens, healthcare and isolation of prisoners – expenses that will ultimately be borne by taxpayers. 

“Taxpayers will have to pay the awards handed out by the courts for wrongful deaths – money which could be put to much better uses.” – April 20, 2020.