The Sovereign Migrant Workers Coalition interviewed 43 Indonesian deportees in its 44-page report in which the interviewees claimed that children as young as 10 were beaten by the centres’ guards and detainees were forced to work for as little as 30 sen a day.
The report, which is the result of an investigation into 1,082 Indonesian migrants who were deported from Sabah between June and September for entering or working in the country illegally, also found that extortion and seizure of personal property were common in the centres.
Living conditions were also dire, with one interviewee stating there were more than 200 people crammed into each 10m by 15m block – which only had three toilets.
Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner Jerald Joseph, who was a speaker at a webinar held to launch the report, described it as a “shocking testimony”.
“This report will anger many Indonesians. No human being should be treated this way, with or without documents,” he said.
Stating that the crowded facilities made the detainees more vulnerable to Covid-19 infections, the report said the cramped quarters also caused them to suffer from various kinds of physical illnesses and mental health problems.
Interviewees also complained of stale and uncooked food, stating that diseases such as skin infections were rampant in the centres due to the lack of clean water. An interviewee claimed some detainees were forced to go three days without a shower.
They also alleged that detainees who worked as cleaners, gardeners or rubbish collectors at the centres received 30 sen a day while those who worked as cooks received RM1 a day.
The report also said the practices had been ongoing in Sabah’s temporary detention centres for years, with thousands of Indonesians falling victim to such abuse.
In addition, none of those arrested had access to legal aid – with the detainees encouraged to admit guilt when brought to court so as to receive a lighter sentence.
While Joseph said the government should fast-track the process of deporting the detainees, he added that it was the government’s duty to ensure that detainees had their basic needs met.