PUTRAJAYA must hold an inquest into the death of close to 300 immigration detainees, including six children, at immigration depots nationwide from 2020, Lawyers for Liberty said.

Zaid Malek, the director of the legal rights advocacy group, expressed shock at the numbers revealed by Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin in the Dewan Rakyat, and slammed the Bersatu lawmaker for not providing any explanation on the deaths.

“This disclosure is shocking, disturbing and raises serious questions. Why did so many die? Particularly, why did six children die?

“Incredibly, the minister has offered no explanation for these deaths. 

“The minister behaves as if such deaths are routine and require no explanation to the public as well as to the families of the victims or the nations from which they came,” said Zaid.

“We urge the government to institute a thorough public inquiry investigation on the deaths in the depots and take all necessary policy or legal action to avoid further unlawful or unnecessary deaths in detention centres.”

“Immigration detainees are the responsibility of the state and must be treated lawfully, humanely and in accordance with international law and norms,” said the human rights lawyer.

On Wednesday, Hamzah said from 2020 to July 12, 2022, there were 298 deaths involving 258 male detainees, 34 females and six male children at immigration depots in the country.

The majority of deaths involved Indonesians and Philippines nationals.

Prior to his statement, Hamzah had also downplayed the deaths of foreigners at a Sabah immigration depot, saying that people should not be too quick to point fingers at the authorities.

“If we detain someone, that means they have committed a crime. When someone commits a crime, they have to go through the existing legal process.

“If I knew someone was going to die and (therefore) should not be placed in a (immigration) depot, I would be great.

“Sometimes people die even while walking… They don’t even have to be in a depot. So, this should not be an issue,” he said at the time.

Zaid today said it is alarming that despite the hundreds of deaths in immigration depots within a short span of time, there have been no inquest proceedings instituted regarding any one of them.

“What were the causes of death? Was the local magistrate informed, and if not, why? Are the authorities not interested in finding out?

“By virtue of sections 329 and 330 of the criminal procedure code it was the duty of the police to investigate these deaths and order post-mortem examinations. Was this done?” Zaid asked.

He said deaths in custody are a serious matter and cannot simply be brushed off without a proper investigation.

“This is more so if the deaths are in the hundreds,” Zaid added. – July 22, 2022.