JAKARTA – The delay in the repatriation of detainees due to travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic has been identified as the main cause of the deaths of Indonesian detainees at Immigration Department depots in Sabah, Malaysia, according to the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry.
This was revealed during the virtual meeting with the Sabah Immigration Department, the Sabah Health Department and Indonesia-based non-governmental organisation Koalisi Buruh Migran Berdaulat (KBMB) yesterday.
Malaysia and Indonesia introduced strict quarantines, movement controls, border closures and travel bans from 2020 to slow the spread of Covid-19 infections.
In a statement, the ministry said it learned that 18 Indonesian detainees died at the Immigration detention centres in Sabah in 2021, and seven others from January to June 2022.
The data also contains detainees’ names and causes of death based on hospital post-mortem results.
During the meeting, the ministry requested for the Malaysian side to speed up the repatriation process of detainees given the relatively low risk posed by the pandemic at present, adding that it stands ready to finance the process.
Indonesia’s Consulate-Generals in Kota Kinabalu and Tawau also plan to increase routine site visits and will provide necessities such as clothing, food, medicines and medical equipment.
Indonesia’s ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono, will visit Sabah to help the process as soon as possible, the statement read.
Yesterday, the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry sought clarification from the Sabah Immigration Department following a report issued by KBMB on the treatment of its citizens at detention depots in Malaysia.
The report claimed that there were deaths and inhumane treatment of Indonesian detainees at the Immigration detention depot in Tawau, Sabah. However, the allegations were refuted by Immigration Department Director-General Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud. – Bernama, June 30, 2022
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