Santiago to Immigration Dept: Own up to your mistakes

PUCHONG: Incensed by the string of reported wrong-doings by the Immigration Department, DAP MP Charles Santiago urged the Home Ministry to expand its reforms on detention process from Prisons Department to Immigration Department.
“Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Prisons Department is looking at sweeping reforms in the areas of detention, rehabilitation, staff training, compliance with regulations and facilities.
“I hope that these could be extended to include a review on the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) practised by the Immigration Department as well, as Orhions Ewansiha Thomas’ death is one too many,” he said in a statement today.
Yesterday, a Nigerian doctorate student from Lim Kok Wing University was found dead while being held in custody by the Immigration Department, despite having valid documents.
However, Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud defended Ewanisha’s detention, saying the agency followed SOP in the Nigerian’s detention.
The Immigration Department also came under fire this month for detaining even toddlers in its detention centres, denying their mothers access to the children.
Last week, US singer Maggie Lindemann said she was put in ‘living hell’ after immigration officials detained her for not having the proper permits for a performance in Kuala Lumpur.
Unimpressed by Khairul’s defence, Santiago said Ewanisha’s death could have been prevented if the agency had exercised some wisdom.
“Khairul said they detained Ewansiha to check if his student pass was legitimate, claiming the latter attempted to flee during the raid.
“But the burning question is this: why did it take five days for them to verify Ewansiha’s document when a phone call to the university would have clarified the matter instantly?
“This clearly shows an abuse of power by the Immigration Department,” he said.
Santiago said he was also unimpressed by Immigration Department’s track record in dealing with immigrants citing the case of a Singaporean detained in May despite holding valid documents.
“He was detained for 26 hours as his passport was due to expire in less than six months. The Singaporean witnessed other detainees being ‘physically abused’ asking questions.
“In the same month, a transgender detainee was humiliated and threatened with assault due to his gender status.
“It’s clear that the blatant abuse by authorities has led to many being held in overcrowded cells, denied medical attention and proper food, arbitrarily detained and denied their basic rights.
“Today, we have another death in our hands. The Immigration Department must be held responsible for this because Ewansiha and the others deserve justice,” said Santiago.
By G Vinod