KUALA LUMPUR – The Dewan Negara and Dewan Rakyat have agreed to set up a joint committee to find short- and long-term solutions to the issue of Covid-19 infection in prisons.
Senate president Tan Sri Rais Yatim said the matter was decided at a joint committee meeting, to establish a caucus to tackle the matter, today.
“One of the problems is overcrowding in prisons, and we find that our prisons can only house about 46,000 inmates, but now, there are more than 62,000 inmates.
“We will meet the (relevant) ministers soon to discuss this matter, so that immediate and long-term measures can be implemented,” he told reporters here, following the meeting.
He said a special briefing on the issue will be held with the ministers concerned after the Dewan Rakyat sitting ends on December 17.
He said it is a must to find ways to ease congestion behind bars. – Bernama, December 10, 2020
