Abdul Rahman sits in his cage while Zaleha (right) speaks with welfare department officers. — Picture by Zuraneeza Zulkifli

KUALA PILAH, Sept 19 — The Welfare Department has shockingly declared that locking up a mentally-disabled person in a cage is acceptable.

Senaling Welfare Department head Mohd Nazrizam Sulong’s exact words: “Caging a mentally disabled person is all right.”

Nazrizam said this following his team’s visit to the caged home of 51-year-old Abdul Rahman in Kg Rembang Panas, which was exposed by The Malay Mail yesterday.

On the other hand, former president of the Malaysian Psychiatric Association Prof Dr Mohamad Hussain Habil has described Abdul Rahman’s case as “abusive and neglectful”.

Abdul Rahman lives in a 9x11 feet space for the last 17 years with his cage located in the backyard of his guardian’s house. He is open to danger day and night and he is also unable to talk and could only crawl.

Upon our highlight of his plight, Nazrizam and his team visited the cage with the presence of The Malay Mail reporters and photographer.

“We have inspected the cage and it is fine for him. According to his guardians, he is comfortable there.

“The family can’t put him inside the house as he becomes uncomfortable with the presence of others.”

Nazrizam said the department would not find him a home to be placed in, since Abdul Rahman’s guardians, Zaleha Hassan and Arifin Kabul, are willing to care for him.

“What can we do if the family still wants to care for him? We can only step in when the family is no longer able to carry on, or if we find any signs of physical abuse.”

Nazrizam said what his department can do for now is monitor him once a year.

“We will continue to give RM300 disability allowance monthly and check on Abdul Rahman from time to time.”

Nazrizam and his team were unaware Abdul Rahman was kept in another cage outside the house compound for 15 years, despite their claims of annual visits previously.

The Malay Mail probe team visited Abdul Rahman over the weekend and discovered he had been in the small confined shelter in his family’s backyard.

He was thrust into the cage when they grew frightened he could hurt someone, become abnormal in front of others or run away. His step-sister Zaleha said the hospitals did no good for him and the family feared that his mental health would worsen.

She said they placed him in the bare shed after attempts to take him into their home proved futile. The shed can only be unlocked from the outside “but we had no choice to do so to a loved one”.