PETALING JAYA: Incidents of violence and abuse inflicted on Rohingya detainees were the main reasons for their escape from the temporary Immigration depot in Bidor, according to the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC).
The EAIC reported that the indifference of Immigration and Rela personnel, who ignored the refugees' plight, was also a contributing factor.
"These findings emerged after the EAIC investigated the escape of 131 Rohingya refugees from the Immigration depot on Feb 1," stated the EAIC's corporate communication unit in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 16).
The investigation was conducted under subsection 27(4) of the EAIC Act 2009 (Act 700) following a received complaint. The EAIC highlighted other issues, including weak infrastructure, as the temporary Immigration depot was a former National Training Service Camp and lacked the necessary standards for operation.
The personnel at the depot failed to monitor or act during the incident.
The EAIC's investigation revealed that violence and abuse dated back to 2020 and continued through 2021 while the detainees were at Kem Wawasan Langkawi before being transferred to various camps, including Bidor.
Several Immigration personnel at the Bidor depot, including two officers transferred from Langkawi, were involved in excessive violence, causing physical and mental harm to the detainees.
The EAIC has recommended disciplinary action against the involved officers by the Immigration Department.
Additionally, the Commission has lodged a police report on the violence and abuse against Rohingya detainees at both the Bidor depot and Kem Wawasan Langkawi to initiate further investigation by the police.
