New immigration detention depot and quarters in Penang nears completion

NIBONG TEBAL: The new Immigration Detention Depot and Quarters Construction project here is expected to be fully completed in July 2024, says Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

The Deputy Work Minister said the project’s construction, under the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (RMK11) First Rolling Plan, is 98% complete.

“The project is a detention centre for illegal immigrants and also provides accommodation for officers.

“This will improve the readiness level of the Immigration Depot officers by reducing response time to handle any issues in the detention block,” he said during his work visit to the site here on Tuesday (June 25).

Ahmad said the new project would replace the existing Juru Immigration Detention Depot, which was built in 1976 and is now dilapidated and unsafe for occupancy

He said that, on average, the detention depot in Juru can hold 500 detainees: 350 male detainees and 150 female detainees.

He said that the new detention depot can accommodate about 1200 detainees once completed and operational.

The project is being developed on a 15-acre section of Lot 7370 subdistrict 7 in South Seberang Perai. Its original construction cost was RM77.5mil.

He said the new immigration depot and quarters can be fully operational as early as October this year.

The Pontian MP said the project’s scope also includes the construction of a pump house and suction tank, in addition to providing a 2km water reticulation line to the Immigration Detention Depot project to overcome the issue of low water pressure in the Jawi area, which affects the water supply to the prison area and Taman Widuri.

Accompanying Ahmad during the site visit were state infrastructure and transport committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari, state Immigration director Nur Zulfa Ibrahim and state work department director Ahmad Nadzri Abdul Majid.