The Malaysian Insight

PUTRAJAYA will be introducing new standard operating procedures (SOPs) in prisons and detention centres to try to prevent Covid-19 infecting the prison population and staff.

Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the new SOPs will include details on prisoner transfer and transport in light of the pandemic.

This move comes after a large number of cases in the recent spike had been from prison and detention centre populations.

“The meeting today agreed to ask the Prisons Department to table a new SOP because the current SOP is no longer of use.

“For example, to bring prisoners to be charged in court, they need to be brought physically. Even in jails, there is close contact,” he said in his daily briefing today.

Ismail Sabri said the department will be in charge of drafting these procedures.

The Bera MP added that the bulk of the recent cases had come from Alor Star Prison and other detention centres.

“Yesterday alone, of the 691 Covid-19 positive cases recorded, 394 were from Kedah, involving prisons, and another seven from Taiping Detention Centre.

“This means that 401 cases were from prisons that have no contact with the outside community,” Ismail said.

Yesterday, Malaysia recorded its largest single day increase of cases at 691, with four deaths. 

There are now 2,936 active cases. Of which, 31 patients are in intensive care, with eight on a ventilator. – October 7, 2020.