Govt mulls letting MPs view CCTV footage of fatal Taiping Prison incident

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — The government is reviewing a proposal by several Members of Parliament (MPs) to allow lawmakers to view closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the Taiping Prison incident that resulted in an inmate’s death last year.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran said he agreed in principle that MPs should be given access to the footage to enable them to carry out their check-and-balance role effectively.

However, he said the proposal required further refinement, particularly from the perspective of legal implications, including matters related to sub judice and ongoing court cases.

“In this regard, the matter will be discussed further with the relevant parties before a final decision is made.

“I hope a decision will be made soon so that it can be made available for viewing, allowing us to know what happened,” he said when winding up the debate on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia 2024 Annual Report for his ministry at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

According to media reports, an inmate died while nearly 100 others were injured in an incident involving alleged provocation at Taiping Prison on January 17, 2025.

Kulasegaran said the government was also studying proposals to broaden Suhakam’s powers and functions, including allowing it to access detention centres without prior notice and establishing additional branch offices in Sabah and Sarawak, subject to the country’s needs and financial position.

Meanwhile, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib, in her winding-up speech for the ministry, said the Institutional Health Unit was established on October 1, 2025, to monitor and coordinate healthcare service delivery quality in prison institutions following the incident.

She said the Ministry of Health (MOH) was also formulating healthcare service delivery guidelines with the Prisons Department, in addition to increasing the placement of health workers in prison institutions in phases.

On the issue of undocumented children, Hanifah Hajar said MOH remained committed to ensuring access to healthcare services for all groups regardless of citizenship status.

However, she said those unable to provide identification documents such as MyKad, MyKid or birth certificates would be subject to the applicable charges.

Meanwhile, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Lim Hui Ying said the government aimed to establish an additional 40 Activity Centres for Senior Citizens (PAWEs) by 2030 to ensure senior citizens were not left out of social outreach activities.

In winding up the debate for the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM), she said the Social Welfare Department (JKM) planned to establish at least 10 new PAWEs annually from 2027 to 2030 to meet Suhakam’s recommendations for equal access.

“To address the lack of suitable physical premises in certain locations, JKM has introduced an initiative known as PAWE 3A (anywhere, anywhere, anytime), which allows senior citizens’ activities to be implemented at suitable and easily accessible locations for the majority of the group,” she said.

Also taking part in winding up the debate on the Suhakam Annual Report were the Ministry of Human Resources (Kesuma) and the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs).

The motion was later passed by the Dewan Rakyat with more votes in favour following the winding-up session by the relevant ministries.

The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues today. — Bernama