KUALA LUMPUR: A Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department was shocked to learn that only RM4.50 per day is allocated for food to each detainee in the lock-up.
T. Murugiah said this was ridiculous, especially with the increase in the price of rice, petrol and other items.
The RM4.50 covers breakfast (60 sen), lunch (RM2) and dinner (RM1.90).
Murugiah said the allocation should be raised so that detainees could get decent food.
“A normal human being living in the city spends at least RM10 on meals a day,” he said after visiting the Travers police station here yesterday.
He visited the police station following complaints by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok about the food she was served during her detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
“Detainees should be treated with respect and given proper food,” said Murugiah.
He said he would ask the Prime Minister and Home Minister to revise the amount allocated per detainee.
“It is high time we increase the amount as I believe that it has been some time since the Government revised it,” he said, adding that foreign and local detainees should be treated fairly.
Murugiah, who is also the Public Complaints Bureau head, said he had investigated the matter and would leave it to the higher authorities to remedy the situation.
Murugiah had earlier met Kok for about an hour in her office at the state secretariat building in Shah Alam.
The meeting was to discuss the type of food Kok was served during her week-long detention.
Kok pointed out that she was wrongly quoted about the food served. She said she was served food which was slightly better than dog food and not that she was served food that was like dog food as published in a Malay newspaper.
“I am happy to see the initiative taken by the Deputy Minister in looking into this matter and I hope that conditions will improve.”
No comments:
Post a Comment