Cell L-1-21, Jinjang – Jay Jay Denis

South Africa’s former president wasn’t wrong when he said: “No one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jail cells.”

For 3 days within the confines of cell L-1-21 in Jinjang last weekend, I was given a much more vivid picture of the doldrums Malaysia finds itself in.

A place where the government – through the police – pulls out all the stops to rob the dignity of inmates who are facing a remand hearing.

I was put in a cell with 14 other persons – all foreigners – as I persisted in being registered as a Malaysian rather than a specific ethnic background. Fuming, the guard who was on duty signed parked my name under “lain-lain” (others).

My fellow cellmates – all of who were very nice persons – were from Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh and one from Timor Leste.

Food was scarce, just enough for one to survive.

The daily menu included 3 crackers in the morning, a fistful of rice along with the tail-end of a small fish (or the head) and finished at  the end of the day with the same crackers and one bun. To prevent dehydration, “teh-o” and coloured water was given in a little packet.

“Malaysia has a lot of money, but your country has no humanity at all,” said my cellmate from Pakistan. He had to pay RM30 for an extra meal, which is downright ridiculous.

Another inmate from Nepal wanted to buy RM30 worth of phone credit to inform his employer that he had been detained.

The police officer retorted, “Bagi seratus, saya beli.”

After realising that he didn’t have the money, the police told him, “Okay, panggil satu kali, RM30.”

There is also a price tag on soap, toothbrushes and towels, all of which should be provided as a matter of right, not privilege. We received none of these. Forget about accessing reading material of any sort unless one is able to rally fellow inmates to put in similar requests.

I was denied medical attention despite requests from myself, lawyers and even the magistrate’s directions.

In the cell across from mine, an elderly man was visibly ill but received no treatment despite many of us asking that he be treated immediately. I am not sure if he survived.

To me, it wasn’t how the police treated us political detainees which mattered; it was how the other remand inmates were mistreated.

Foreign detainees are not given the right to be heard and many are held back for 12 to 14 days straight.

After conversing with my cellmates for three days, I managed to convince 10 of them to leave Malaysia as soon as they were released because life is a living hell for them here.

Now, with further rallies in the pipeline, I preempt a major crackdown where many will be forced to queue at the jail-lines.

The government – through the police – is trying to instil fear in the minds of Malaysians, although it is our constitutional right. Fear of being jailed, fear of being violated, fear of being terrorised by a brutish system.

Whether or not we are jailed, the voices of the Malaysian people have been imprisoned. We being stuffed into cells merely confirms that.

But do not be cowed by threats from this government. Speak if you have to, rally if you need to, change is a must.

* Jay Jay Denis reads The Malaysian Insider.