Press Statement
Home Minister Saifuddin’s knee-jerk denial that 1,400 children are being detained in Immigration Depots is unacceptable & contrary to his own previous admission
7 March 2024
We refer to the Home Minister’s criticism of the claims in the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report that claimed more than 1,400 children were detained at immigration detention centres nationwide.
It is appalling and unacceptable that Saifuddin’s response is to go on the defensive and simply dismiss the claims that children are still being detained at detention centres. These are serious allegations that warrant a serious investigation, not a knee-jerk denial and a pretence that all is well.
HRW is an organisation that consistently supported rule of law and civil liberties in Malaysia. When HRW staunchly spoke up for Anwar when he was prosecuted by the BN govt, PH praised and welcomed HRW. It is hypocritical for the PH-led government to disparage the veracity of HRW, now that they are in government and on the receiving end of criticism.
In fact, on 3rd October 2023 Saifuddin himself stated that there were 846 boys and 653 girls in immigration depots nationwide as of 28th September 2023. Thus, the total of 1499 children is even higher than HRW’s number. UNICEF also quoted the same numbers in its Malaysia Country Office Annual Report 2023.
With what effrontery does Saifuddin now deny HRW’s claim?
His umbrage at HRW’s assertion on the number of children in detention is baseless, and stems either from lapse of memory or is a false statement to escape criticism over the treatment of children. Either way, it is a gross misstatement of facts by a minister.
The clear and obvious fact is that the PH-led government has failed to halt the increasing xenophobic crackdowns on migrants and refugees by enforcement bodies. This is in direct contradiction to the promises made by PH whilst they were in opposition, such as the promise to ratify the 1951 International Convention on Refugees in its political manifesto, as pointed out in the HRW report. Unfortunately, the PH-led government is moving further and further away from those promises. Their handling of undocumented migrants is callous and in breach of international human rights standards.
In short, bare denials from the Home Minister are inadequate to address the serious facts presented by HRW.
In the interests of transparency, we ask that the government immediately allow full and unimpeded access to SUHAKAM to conduct a fact-finding mission to the immigration detention centres to ascertain the number of children in immigration detention centres and the conditions in which they are held.
Issued by:
Zaid Malek
Director
Lawyers for Liberty