1.

1 The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia or widely known as SUHAKAM in the country has the
mandate to visit prisons as well as places of detention or related facilities with a view to assessing and
inspecting conditions of persons held in such places and making recommendations in relation to
protecting the human rights of the detainees.

1.2 -On 8th August 2017, SUHAKAM visited Sekolah Henry Gurney (SHG) located at the Puncak Borneo
Prison in Kuching, Sarawak. SHG is a school in Puncak Borneo Prison for juvenile delinquents from 15
to 21 years old to study and sit for the SPM examination. SUHAKAM delegation, led by Commissioners
Dato Mah Weng Kwai, Datuk Lok Yim Pheng, Dr. Nik Salida Suhaila Nik Saleh and Mr. Jerald Joseph,
comprised of Deputy Secretary Mr. Simon Karunagaram, Amer Izyanif, Head of Law Reform Division
and other officers of Sarawaks Office.

1.3 The purposes of SUHAKAMs visit were to ascertain the conditions in SHG and to observe whether
the human rights requirements as prescribed by the UN Standard Minimum Rules were adhered. The
relevant instruments regarding the detention of young persons are: -

i) Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of the Juveniles

ii) Body of Principle for the Protection of All Persons under Form of Detention

iii) Child Act 2001

1.4 Besides exercising its power as stated under Section 4(2)(d) of SUHAKAM Act 1999, the visit was
also aimed at gathering as much as possible information pertaining to the current conditions of the
said school.

1.5 SHG was set up in April 2016 as the first school in the prison for juvenile delinquents in Sarawak.
Historically, parents of juvenile delinquents had requested the government to set up a school like this
in Sarawak. Since the opening of SHG in Sarawak last year, juvenile delinquents from Sarawak have
been transferred back to Sarawak from other states. Currently, Five SPM graduates of Sekolah Henry
Gurney have been offered studies in several public higher education institutions in the country.

1.6 To date, there are 94 students in SHG. Among the 26 students with literacy problems who are
being placed in tuition class, 10 are illiterate, four can only read the syllabus and 12 can read but have
poor understanding of words. The students not only are taught in Malay but English too.

1.7 Relatively, children are receiving adequate access to reintegration and rehabilitation activities and
services. Furthermore, the conditions in detention and the treatment they received are parallel with
international human rights standards.
Prepared by: Alfonso Min