Malaysians woke up to news that over 500 undocumented migrants had staged a daring breakout and fled a temporary Immigration Detention Depot in Bandar Baharu, Kedah.
The 4.30am breakout happened at the depot that once served as a National Service camp. The debacle has dented the image and bruised the ego of the Immigration Department.
The incident also raised several questions, including:
- public safety
- accountability; and
- lack of funding in manpower and assets to set up a secure detention facility.
The deaths of six escapees, while crossing at Km168 of the North-South Highway, added another tragic element to the failure in the system, even as Malaysians continued to debate about the ‘basikal lajak’ tragedy that saw eight children killed five years ago.
Penang police chief, Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, confirmed the deaths of two men, two women, and two children. He added that 229 escapees were re-arrested at the same location about 7am.
Immigration director-general, Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud, confirmed that 528 Rohingya detainees had broken the grille and door to a block in the temporary detention centre, earlier. He added that as at 10am, 362 detainees had been recaptured.
Kedah and Perak police had quickly dispatched personnel to mount roadblocks and conduct a large-scale manhunt, with the aid of villagers, residents, and other enforcement agencies.
While the undocumented migrants may not pose a criminal risk to the general population, they could, however, pose a public health risk as Malaysia transitions from Covid-19 pandemic to endemicity. Women and young children were among those who fled the centre, raising concerns about their wellbeing.
In what has been described as an embarrassing lapse in security, calls for a full investigation are gaining traction, to ensure this would not happen again.
However, this episode exposes a bigger problem – a lack of funding for prisons and detention centres as the temporary depot in question was equipped only with iron gates, zinc sheets for partitions, and barbed wires. According to the initial police investigation, 23 officers from the Immigration Department were on duty at the depot at the time of the incident.
“The detention centre is a former National Service camp. Security must be beefed up at the detention centres, but this can only be done if there’s more budget for upgrades and the maintenance of these detention centres,” said Alliance for Safe Community chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
“The entire episode has also raised questions about public safety, as well as the safety of the detainees. Health safety is also a concern, as we are unsure if the detainees had Covid-19 and may have spread the coronavirus.”
Lee added that a thorough inquiry into the incident must be conducted.
As for the deaths of the six escapees, he said: “These deaths were totally unnecessary. The detainees who escaped also posed a threat to road users.”