Masri (second left) and Mohd Zaidi (left) calming down detainees who had staged a small protest at the Menggatal Detention Centre compound on Friday.
KOTA KINABALU: Close to 400 detainees at the Menggatal Detention Centre or better known as Rumah Merah, on Friday staged a protest due to dissatisfaction with the deportation process.
State Immigration Deputy Director (Operations) Masri Adul said the incident happened when some of the detainees managed to break the padlock of their cell blocks around 6.30am.
None of the detainees managed to escape from the centre, he said.
“The incident first happened at the women’s cell block when several of the detainees complained of being under pressure and asked to speed up the deportation process so they can return to their country.
“Their (women detainees’) complaints and ‘cries’ were heard by the male detainees who were inside the male cell block, in front of the women’s.
“Some of the male detainees then started to protest and things went out of control as the detainees from both cells started a small riot,” he said when met at the Menggatal Detention Centre on Friday.
Masri said officers and guards at the Menggatal Detention Centre immediately sealed off all doors and gates and contacted the Royal Malaysian Police and the State Immigration Department for assistance.
Some 70 police officers and 40 immigration officers arrived at the centre within minutes to control the situation, said Masri.
The riot lasted a couple of hours before security and enforcement teams took control of the situation.
Meanwhile, Masri said they managed to calm down the detainees and explained the reason for the delay of the deportation.
“We explained that the delay was a request from the Philippine Embassy itself due to several reasons, including the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
Masri also assured that none of the detainees had escaped and had placed 30 additional personnel at the centre.
Also present was Kota Kinabalu police chief ACP Mohd Zaidi Abdullah.