KUALA LUMPUR – Newly minted home minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has admonished Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) for criticising his “downplaying” of the alleged plight of detainees at the Kimanis detention centre in Sabah.
Saifuddin said he and his deputy have just started their ministerial jobs and it is only reasonable to be first briefed by the agencies under his purview.
“For now, we listen without reservation and interact with the agencies, including Immigration. Of course, there are aspects that we want to improve through our continuous engagement,” he said in a press conference after his working visit to the police headquarters in Bukit Aman here today.
He said it is unfair for the rights group to criticise him seeing that he was sworn in recently.
“They should check their statements. I’m not angry, but ‘tegur’ (admonishment), like how they did it to me.”
The minister was called out by several humanitarian groups for his “irresponsible” remarks that frail and ill-looking detainees at the Kimanis centre had already been in that condition before being brought there.
LFL had said it was unacceptable and contrary to good governance for the home minister to dismiss outright the complaints on video by a detainee, instead of ordering an inquiry.
“This is one of the most specious and ridiculous responses ever advanced by a home minister in the face of custodial abuse. The home minister must not just accept ‘briefings’ from the Immigration Department at face value,” it said in a statement yesterday.
Saifuddin on December 9 said he had been briefed by Immigration Department officials about a viral video and photos on social media showing emaciated detainees, allegedly at the Kimanis detention centre, appealing to be freed and speaking about their ill-treatment.
The minister, who is also PKR secretary-general, said it was “unfair” for the issue to be played up and called on the media to report fairly.
Sabah Immigration officials, however, did not respond to The Vibes’ requests for comment when the viral video first became an issue.
The Malaysian Human Rights Commission, meanwhile, said it will probe into the matter, adding that it had already sent a request to the Immigration Department to visit the Kimanis detention centre and was waiting for a response when the video emerged on social media. – The Vibes, December 13, 2022
