JAKARTA: In the lead-up to the 81st Independence Day in August, the Indonesian Consulate General in Johor Baru has delivered humanitarian assistance to dozens of citizens in Malaysian prisons as part of efforts to protect and assist its nationals abroad.
Indonesian Consul General Sigit S. Widiyanto said the aid was distributed to 107 citizens serving prison sentences from five to 10 years and above for serious criminal offences. The recipients comprise 58 inmates at Kluang Prison in Johor state and 49 inmates at Bentong Prison in Pahang state.
"The assistance consists of food packages and telephone vouchers, to help the inmates stay in touch with their families in Indonesia," Sigit said in a statement on Thursday (July 30).
The consul expressed hope that maintaining contact with their families back home would provide the inmates with emotional support, help alleviate the psychological burden of serving lengthy prison sentences and reinforce their commitment to rehabilitation.
Sigit also visited the two correctional facilities, where he met with prison directors to discuss the welfare of the Indonesians in their custody and to reaffirm the importance of safeguarding the inmates’ basic human rights.
The discussions included ensuring access to legal representation for Indonesian inmates facing the death penalty.
During the prison visits, he also held a dialogue with Indonesian inmates, listening to their concerns and offering words of encouragement. He urged them to maintain discipline, comply with prison regulations and uphold Indonesia's good name throughout their incarceration.
The consul also used the visits to verify the citizenship status of inmates who lacked identity documents. Sigit said the verification process was crucial to ensuring legal protection for the inmates and facilitating their repatriation to Indonesia following their release.
"The government remains committed to ensuring that every Indonesian citizen abroad, including those serving prison sentences, continues to receive consular protection and humanitarian assistance in accordance with the law," he said.
According to data from the Malaysian government, 6,622 Indonesians are currently in that country’s correctional system, comprising 1,722 detainees undergoing legal proceedings and 4,900 convicts.
The latter includes two on death row and 49 serving life sentences. The data also identify 62 Indonesian inmates as vulnerable, including elderly prisoners, people with mental health issues or physical disabilities, minors, pregnant women and women with young children.
The Indonesian and Malaysian governments are currently working on a prisoner transfer agreement that would allow eligible inmates to serve their sentences in their home countries.
As of June, 314 Malaysian nationals were involved in legal proceedings in Indonesia. The figure consists of 47 detainees and 267 convicts, including 23 on death row and 51 sentenced to life.
Following a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on June 30, Coordinating Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Services Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the neighbouring countries had agreed on the key principles in the draft prisoner transfer deal, which “will be discussed further at the next stage" of negotiations.
Yusril said the government was paying close attention to the issue, citing numerous reports alleging that some Indonesians had experienced inhumane treatment at Malaysian prisons.
He added that the agreement, which was expected to be signed soon, would demonstrate the presence of the state in protecting its citizens abroad.
"We have already facilitated the repatriation of many foreign prisoners to their respective countries, and now it is time to address the return of Indonesian prisoners serving sentences overseas," he said. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
