Prisons bill not intended to give officers legal immunity, says Saifuddin

Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said it is necessary to protect the morale of prison officers carrying out their duties within the scope of their powers and established procedures. (Facebook pic)PUTRAJAYA: The proposed amendments to the Prisons Act 1995 are not intended to give prison officers legal immunity, but rather the protection required to carry out their duties, says home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.He said certain parties, including NGOs, had misunderstood the amendments as an attempt to protect prison officers from legal action.He said the word "protection" in the draft amendment should be understood in context as an effort to ensure that officers carrying out their duties pursuant to court orders are not unreasonably exposed to legal action."This is not an attempt to provide legal immunity," he said after the home ministry’s monthly assembly here today.Saifuddin gave the example of a prison director who was sued after an inmate died following a court-ordered whipping."Whether the death stemmed from the whipping or not, the prison director was sued even though he was only carrying out a court order."I think there is a need for the Prisons Act to be amended for such cases," he said, citing another in which a prison officer was sued over allegations that prison food tasted bad.He said such cases could negatively affect the morale of prison officers carrying out their duties within the scope of their powers and established procedures.On a separate matter, Saifuddin said enforcement operations against illegal immigrants would be strengthened, even as immigration depots nationwide face congestion issues.In his speech during the assembly, he said the immigration department must continue to ensure that foreigners comply with the Immigration Act 1959/63, including by possessing valid documents, staying within the permitted period, and not abusing visitor passes.Saifuddin also said that the arrests of 12 police officers suspected of extorting RM2 million from a foreigner showed that the government would not compromise on wrongdoing among its security forces.He said the swift action taken against those involved also showed the police’s commitment to maintaining integrity in the force.