Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) said Quek Chin Fern and Cheryl Lim were arrested in Kluang on June 19, over an alleged shoplifting offence. On June 22, they pleaded guilty and were sentenced to one day in jail under Section 380 of the Penal Code.

“They were taken to Kluang Prison on the same day and have not been released since, even after five days.

“The illegal detention of Quek and Lim for the past five days represents a direct violation of Article 5(1)1 of the Federal Constitution and a violation of Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy said in a statement today.

Quoting family members who contacted prison officials, Suaram said they were told the two women were not allowed to leave as their passports were not kept at the prison.

“However, after further queries were made, the prison officials said the immigration department had asked for them to be detained for the extended period.

“There is no legitimate ground for these individuals to be subjected to additional detention by the prison department and immigration department,” Sevan said, adding that prison officials had claimed their procedures state that prisoners are only to be transferred to immigration detention on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Suaram called their detention “an underhanded method utilised by the prison department to illegally detain individuals beyond the ambit of the law”.

The NGO also claimed that they had been informed by Quek’s family that she had suffered a dislocated shoulder since her arrest and had not received any medical attention.

“The failure to provide adequate medical attention is a violation of Rule 273 of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules),” Sevan said, urging the authorities to release both women immediately.