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Kamunting Detention Centre

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Kamunting Detention Centre
Kem Tahanan Perlindungan Kamunting
Map
LocationKamunting, Perak, Malaysia
Coordinates4°54′33″N 100°44′13″E / 4.90917°N 100.73694°E / 4.90917; 100.73694
StatusActive
Security classSupermax
Population2,770 (as of 2014)
OpenedNovember 1973
Managed byMinistry of Home Affairs
DirectorSaifuddin Nasution Ismail

The Kamunting Detention Centre (KEMTA; Malay: Kem Tahanan Perlindungan Kamunting) is a prison camp in Kamunting, Larut, Matang and Selama District, Perak, Malaysia.[1] The prison is used by the government to detain and interrogate persons arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA). The detention is also known as Malaysia's Supermax prison or Maximum security prison. It is alleged that this is the site where the Malaysian authorities would hold up political prisoners. Among notable events which prompted widespread use of the ISA were Operation Lalang in 1987 and the years during the Reformasi movement, beginning 1999. The centre has also been used to detain other groups of people declared by the government to be a threat to national security such as terrorists and cults. Some notable groups detained in Kamunting includes the Al-Arqam cult and the Al-Ma'unah terrorist group.

Population statistics

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Type of offence Number of
detainees (2014)[2]
Communists 1,702
Document falsification 433
Terrorists 193
Human trafficking 159
Producing fake coins 66
Religious and racial issues 40
Subversive 38
Intelligence 16
Reformation activists 7
Supplier of nuclear component 1
Grand total 2,770

Notable ex-detainees

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References

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  1. ^ Tempat Tahanan Perlindungan, prison.gov.my
  2. ^ Kamunting detention centre to become agro prison - Ahmad Zahid, The Sun Daily
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