In a statement, the Padang Serai MP thanked Nur Jazlan Mohamed “for providing this opportunity and I accept his invitation”.
“I am prepared to stay in Kajang Prison in similar conditions as the inmates in order to assess conditions, if Datuk Nur Jazlan as Deputy Home Minister will officially authorise it.”
Surendran’s response comes days after Nur Jazlan, in an interview with FMT, challenged the former to see the condition of a prison cell himself.
“Ask him (N Surendran) to voluntarily stay in a cell for a day. Where has he seen the conditions of a jail cell,” Nur Jazlan had said.
The Pulai MP said this after Surendran said the proposal by former Court of Appeals judge Mohd Noor Abdullah for a prison cell to contain “mosquitoes, rats and cockroaches” in order to make it uncomfortable for prisoners, was cruel.
Surendran also argued that such conditions would pose a health risk to not only the prisoners but the family members visiting them.
Mohd Noor had last week suggested the idea when arguing that no prison should provide “VIP amenity” to inmates and, if there was such a thing, it should be stopped at once.
This was because, he explained some criminals wanted to enjoy the “benefits” available in the prisons, including free food and sound sleep. This he said does not help a prisoner repent.
Mohd Noor said that the prison department has to make the prison an uncomfortable place so that prisoners regret committing crimes and detest going to prison.
Surendran said in a statement earlier that Nur Jazlan’s support for the former judge’s suggestion was legally and morally wrong.
This, he explained, was because according to the Prison Act 1995 and Prisons Regulations 2000, there is no legal authority to introduce pests into prison in order to torment prisoners.
On the contrary, Surendran argued, Regulation 3 stipulates that “the treatment of prisoners shall be such as to encourage their self-respect and a sense of personal responsibility”, while Regulation 55 mandates that prisoners be treated “with kindness and humanity”.
“Is Nur Jazlan completely unaware of these provisions?”
Surendran also pointed out that introducing such pests as companions to prisoners is in breach of Article 5 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees the right to “life and personal liberty”.
The right to life, Surendran said includes the right to live with human dignity and health.
“Obviously, inflicting disease bearing pests upon prisoners would be inconsistent with that right.”