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At the Setia Tropika immigration centre, Singaporean Puis Gilbert Louis alleged he was kept in a cramped cell with 100 other detainees where he could only sleep on a “bare dirty floor” before his transfer the next morning to the Pekan Nanas immigration camp.
Louis, who is said to be a claustrophobe and suffers from asthma, was alleged to have been transported handcuffed to another detention centre in an eight-seater truck compartment with about 30 other detainees.
Louis allegedly had breathing difficulties during his trip to the Pekan Nanas immigration camp due to the cramped conditions, and had to be pushed to an open window in the truck compartment to get air; he ended up getting wet due to the heavy rain then.
Louis was allegedly detained for the next 36 days until November 14, 2018 in an overcrowded cell that was meant to be for 50 people only, but housed about 130 during his time at the Pekan Nanas immigration camp.
“The condition was so horrifying and terrifying that ordinarily it would not be expected that any human being would be kept under that condition.
“The toilet was within the cell and was dirty and open. No clean water was available for drinking. Food was provided in an unhygienic condition,” his statement of claim sighted by Malay Mail said.
Louis claimed the generally warm cell had no fan and limited ventilation, with most detainees “sweating and smelling bad”, noting that detainees also slept in cramped conditions.
He listed items that were not provided to him and the detainees, including mat, pillow, blanket, footwear, toiletries including soap and towel, change of clothing; saying that he had to walk barefoot and sleep on a dirty bare floor.
He said he wore the same clothes for the first 14 days, and only changed his clothes once when he was brought to his house after 14 days for the immigration officers to view a CCTV recording there.
“Many of the detainees did not take a bath for long... Many of them were scratching their bodies badly and diseases including herpes were spreading,” he said.
Louis said he only managed to shower after the first 10 days after he managed to buy soap at an “excessive price” from an alleged privately-operated store.
“A small bottle of drinking water cost RM10. Purchase was limited by amount and time,” Louis’ statement of claim said, alleging that the payments were taken from his wallet held by immigration officers and from money given by visitors.
Louis said other detainees viewed him as a relatively well-to-do person and that he had to purchase items for them to avoid being “disturbed or harmed”, claiming that he and the rest had to buy things for a self-proclaimed gang leader among those detained.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-man-sues-malaysias-immigration-221715095.html
