Riots erupted at a detention center in Malaysia involving over 400 detainees as they protested the delay in deportation.
The inmates who are believed to be Filipinos escaped from their cells but did not manage to leave the immigration depot in the incident that occurred around 6:30 am.
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Masri Adul, Sabah immigration deputy director (operations), said initial investigations revealed that the unrest started from the block housing women inmates and a group demanded they should be sent home immediately.
He said that that those in the men’s block joined “until a small riot broke out,”
Three male inmates managed to break open the padlock of their cell.
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Masri said the immigration personnel immediately alerted police as well as the Sabah immigration headquarters for help, adding that 70 policemen and 40 immigration enforcement personnel then rushed to the depot.
Masri said that they explained to the inmates about the actual situation and why the deportation process had to be postponed elaborating that the delay was due to the request by the Philippines embassy as a result of COVID-19 outbreak. He said the negotiations lasted for about an hour before the detainees finally agreed to return to their cells and the police would deploy 30 men at the depot for several days to monitor the situation. (AW)
