Thai corrections officials assure proper care of detained Malaysian singer

The Corrections Department has assured that measures are in place for Muslim inmates at Thai prisons to be able to follow their religious restrictions and rules after the detainment of a well-known Malaysian pop singer at the Narathiwat Provincial Prison in a drug arrest early this month.
The Department of Corrections said in a statement issued on Sunday as a precaution that all foreign prisoners, including Islam’s followers, have the right to continue the practices of their religious faith as long as those practices do not violate the prisons’ regulations.  
Wan Norshaheeda Azlin Binti Wan Ismail, 29, widely known as Eda Ezrin, and five other Malaysian nationals were apprehended in possession of some 6,000 methamphetamine tablets at a hotel in Sungai Kolok district of Thailand’s southernmost province of Narathiwat on Nov 1. The six suspects tested positive for drug use.
On Nov 4, crowd-control police officers were sent to maintain order at Sungai Kolok police station as investigators took the drug suspects to the Narathiwat provincial court while about 100 fans of the singer and relatives of the six suspects were gathered outside the station.
As for Muslim inmates, the statement said each prison has a special area for preparing and cooking three Halal meals a day. Halal food is prepared using separate tools and containers.
“For the conduct of prayers, both male and female Muslims can wear clean prayer clothes and are provided with enough clean water during the fasting month of Ramadan. They can bring and eat their meals inside their sleeping quarters,” the statement said.   
“For Muslim inmates who want to study Islamic teachings, prisons and correctional institutions can provide them with volunteer instructors.”
Besides having access to consular assistance during official operating hours, for added convenience foreign inmates can also talk to their relatives via video calls or the Line messaging app, according to the statement.   
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong inspected the Narathiwat Provincial Prison on Sunday and held a press briefing to explain standard practices for Muslim inmates to both local and Malaysian media.