Malay Mail
by ZURAIRI AR
by ZURAIRI AR
KUALA
LUMPUR, April 2 — Malaysia’s prison system is among the best in the
region due to its exemplary moral and religious service, Deputy Home
Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar claimed in Parliament today.
In
a reply to Bukit Katil MP Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, Wan Junaidi also
claimed that the prisons abide by international human rights standards,
including the United Nation’s Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment
of Prisoners.
“The
Prison Department is sensitive to the basic rights and welfare of the
residents,” Wan Junaidi said during Question Time here.
“All
residents are treated fairly based on the standard operating
procedures, no matter their race, skin colour, gender, religion,
political beliefs and others.”
The
Santubong MP also revealed that taxpayers have to fork out over RM1,000
to support a prisoner monthly, to cover the facilities, food, medical
supplies, security, escort, recovery and emolument.
“The
welfare and living cost borne by the government for every prisoner
detained in the Malaysia’s prisons is RM35 per day,” added Wan Junaidi.
The
deputy minister also claimed that the Home Ministry is considering to
allow prisoners to vote in elections, especially if they have registered
before their incarceration.
According to Elections Act 1958, a registered voter loses his rights to vote if he is sentenced to imprisonment or death.
According
to the Prison Department website, there are 35 correctional facilities
in Malaysia, including two women-only prisons in Kajang and Kota
Kinabalu.
One of the earliest prisons in Malaysia, the Taiping Gaol, was built in 1879 and remains operational.
The
UK-based International Centre for Prison Studies reported that there
are 39,740 prisoners in Malaysia as of October 2013, with foreigners
accounting for nearly 30 per cent of inmates.
However, data from June 2009 showed that Malaysian prisons can only accommodate a maximum of 32,000 prisoners at a time.
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