New Lahad Datu prison to start operation in October

KOTA KINABALU: A new 1,000-inmate capacity prison in Sabah’s east coast Lahad Datu district will begin operating this Oct 1, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

The Home Minister said this would help address the overcrowding at the prisons in Tawau, Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu.

He said the Lahad Datu prison would undergo a one-month trial involving 100 inmates first before the number of those incarcerated increased to 450.

He added the prison was expected to be fully operational by next January.

“This 1,000-capacity prison will be a great relief for the Prisons Department in relation to congestion which will potentially bring about issues such as infectious diseases,” Saifuddin said on Tuesday (Aug 29).

“This is besides an unconducive environment which could bring stress to the inmates that could eventually lead to suicides, escape attempts or fights,” he added.

This approach showed the Madani government wanted to ensure that even prison inmates have the space so they would not live in crowded conditions, he said.

Saifuddin had together with Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi witnessed the handing over of the Lahad Datu prison from the Works Ministry to the Home Ministry in Lahad Datu.

Nanta said the construction of the Lahad Datu prison started in 2017 and was able to be completed at a cost of some RM176mil compared with the RM200mil approved under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP).

Meanwhile, Saifuddin said his ministry through the Prisons Department had implemented two other ways as a means to address the issue of crowded prisons.

One of them was the parole system, he said, adding the government had also implemented the Prisoners’ Release on Licence (OBB).

On the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway project, Nanta hoped work on the remaining 35 packages in the state could begin soonest after the appointment of contractors was sorted year end.

It was the government’s priority to expedite the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway construction as many packages had yet to start.

The first phase of the project which involved 15 work packages are now 82% completed. It was expected to be fully completed by this January.