KIMANIS: A video clip and several pictures have emerged of emaciated men, allegedly detainees at the Immigration depot here, appealing for help.
The clip and photos have gone viral since their release by someone whose Facebook handle is Datz Ganang.
In the 90-second clip, a man identifying himself as Salomon, on behalf of others, appealed to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and state Immigration director Datuk SH Sitti Saleha Habib Yusoff to release them.
"I have been here for close to a year. There are others who have been here for two or three years. How long will we be detained here in this centre?
"We are not getting enough food and drink, and therefore this is why our bodies are skinny.
"Our bodies are also itchy. When we appeal for medicines from the Immigration officers, we are not entertained.
"They only entertain those who are severely ill. Most of us who just started getting the infections are ignored," he said in the video.
The last deportation of illegal immigrants, which is the 19th series, was on Nov 24 involving 124 Indonesians via Tawau port.
The batch of immigrants were from Kota Kinabalu, Papar and Sandakan depots.