PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s prisons are in a grip of “silent humanitarian crisis,” with overcrowding, inhumane treatment and rising deaths in custody, painting a grim picture of the country’s justice system, former Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Ahmad Marzuk Shaary told Parliament yesterday.
Citing the 2023 Suhakam Annual Report which was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat, Ahmad Marzuk described the findings as “a dark side of the justice system”, revealing prisons bursting beyond capacity, and allegations of torture and systemic neglect that have cost lives.
“These are not mere statistics. These are lives, human faces we have forgotten,” he said, calling for urgent reform and accountability.
According to the report, 42 prisons built to house 65,000 inmates are holding over 72,000 people. As of November last year, prison population had surged to 87,419 – far exceeding the system’s intended capacity of 65,000.
“This is not just a logistical burden. This is a crisis of human dignity,” said Ahmad Marzuk.
He pointed to troubling reports from a prison in the northern region, where 125 inmates had signed a petition alleging they were beaten with PVC pipes for minor infractions.
Even more disturbing, he said, were claims that instruments of torture had been deliberately hidden during visits by Suhakam.
“The treatment of detainees, especially those on remand who have not been convicted, is deeply troubling. They are stripped naked, denied bathing and fed spoiled food. Complaints are met with violence. This is not justice – it is cruelty.”
Ahmad Marzuk also highlighted the rising number of custodial deaths, revealing that 77 were recorded in 2023, including 11 within the prison system.
Many of those who died had untreated medical conditions or showed signs of physical abuse, he said.
Earlier in the Dewan Rakyat, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said tabled the Suhakam report and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to upholding the principles of human rights and constitutional freedoms.
She said this commitment was in line with the Malaysia Madani vision, which places human dignity and societal well-being at the heart of national governance.
“Human rights remain a key national and international concern. They are the cornerstone of justice, social harmony and shared prosperity. In Malaysia, these rights are firmly grounded in the Federal Constitution, specifically in Part Two, which outlines basic liberties from Articles 5 to 13.”
Azalina said the government views the safeguarding of these rights as a fundamental obligation.
“We believe that strengthening human rights is essential to building a peaceful, inclusive and progressive society.”
She also stressed that the tabling and debate of Suhakam’s annual report was not merely procedural, but a vital component of Malaysia’s democratic accountability.
