FAC News - Friday, June 21, 2002 8:20 AM

SUHAKAM INQUIRY ON THE ISA: ISA detainees suffering from skin diseases

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) was told that most of the Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees were suffering from a skin disease. This is because of the poor quality of water, the detainees told the two-day public inquiry conducted by Suhakam on 18 and 19 June 2002.

(Last month, the detainees discovered the carcasses and skeletons of dead birds in the water tanks and the silt was three feet thick).

The detainees initially sought medical attention in the Kamunting Detention Center but, after so many months, there has been no improvement to their condition. In fact, their skin disease got worse. The detainees then requested to see a doctor outside the camp but their request was turned down.

The detainees have practically boycotted the camp clinic, the inquiry was told. They no longer have any confidence in the medical facilities within the camp and have resorted to smuggling medicine into the camp.

One detainee said that after he stopped seeing the camp clinic and arranged for medicine from the outside, his skin disease has improved dramatically.

“Every time we see the camp clinic, no matter what sickness we are suffering from, they give us those tablets marked ‘KK’ (‘Kementerian Kesihatan’ or Ministry of Health)”, said the detainee. “Never mind what our problem is, that one tablet (Panadol) is supposed to cure all.”

Another detainee complained, “We are all suffering from toothache and need our teeth filled. But, when we visit the camp dentist, they would refuse to fill them and will insist on extracting our teeth.”

“By the time we leave here, we will have no teeth left,” he quipped, to the amusement of all those present.

The camp is also infested with mosquitoes due to the clogged and broken drains and many detainees have fallen sick because of it.