SOCIAL distancing will be practised at Immigration detention centres, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today in response to critics of the authorities’ Labour Day raid on undocumented migrants in Kuala Lumpur.

“When (they) reach the (Immigration) depot, we will ensure that social distancing continues,” the defence minister and National Security Council spokesman said at the daily briefing on Covid-19 security issues.

Social distancing is also being practised at the special prisons created to house MCO violators, he said.

“The same goes for the (Immigration) depot (whereby) social distancing will be practised,” he said. 

The undocumented migrants who were arrested on Friday from the Menara City One building, which is under lockdown for Covid-19, and from the Masjid Jamek area, were tested thrice for coronavirus, he added.

Usually, swabs are only taken twice at enhanced movement control order (EMCO) areas. 

Ismail Sabri also responded to criticism by international human rights groups on the raid, saying: “The EMCO at Masjid India will soon end. Once it ends, where are they going to go?  Are they allowed to go back to their rented houses and to continue living there?”

“What we have done is based on the laws of our country. 

“Thank you, Amnesty International, for giving your opinion, but the decision to protect our country is our right. We implemented this (the raid) based on our laws.”

Amnesty International Malaysia was among groups that had condemned the raid for the risk of virus transmission due to the lack of social distancing at detention centres.

Rights groups have also slammed Putrajaya for reneging on an earlier promise not to take legal action against undocumented migrants, so as to encourage more of them to come forward for Covid-19 testing. – May 3, 2020.