KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3: Member of Parliament for Ipoh Barat, Kulasegaran has called for an independent investigation into the Bidor Immigration Depot incident, where 131 undocumented migrants detained at the depot escaped after initiating a riot there on Thursday night.
In a statement issued today, Kula, who is also Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said there must be accountability from those who had been responsible for the breach of security and a thorough investigation must be carried out to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“It is imperative that a comprehensive and transparent inquiry be conducted to determine the root causes of the situation. We need to ascertain whether this incident is an isolated occurrence or if there have been similar incidents in the past. Understanding the context will help us implement necessary measures to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.
“We must acknowledge the swift response of the law enforcement agencies stationed at the Bidor Immigration Depot, especially the Immigration personnel, who ensured the safety of their fellow officers during the escape.”
He said either a task force of eminent persons or a parliamentary select committee be set up to conduct an independent investigation into the matter promptly and the subsequent reports be made public to ensure transparency.
“The safety and security of our immigration facilities are paramount, and we must be committed to taking all necessary actions to address any shortcomings revealed through the investigation while authorities learn from this incident and implement measures to strengthen the security and management of immigration facilities across the country.”
–WE