KOTA KINABALU: A ruckus broke out at the Immigration detention depot here when some 400 Filipino detainees protested that they could no longer wait to be deported.

       The incident started when some of the women detainees created a scene and complained why they were forced to stay so long in the detention centre.

       The incident attracted the attention of the male detainees at the opposite blocks, who then pried open their cell locks and ran out at about 6.30am.

       Sabah Immigration Department deputy director of operations Masri Adul said once the officials realised about the escape, they called in the police and other enforcement personnel for help.

       “We found out that the incident started due to provocation from the women’s lockup,” he said.

       Masri said the women involved claimed they were "too stressed" and wanted to be sent home as soon as possible.

       The men, he said, acted based on these provocations.

       A total of 110 enforcement personnel including OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Zaidi Abdullah were deployed to the detention centre to bring the situation under control.

       “We had to keep them calm and explain again why the deportation process is taking so long,” he said.

       Masri said the delay was due to the Philippines embassy, requesting that the deportation be postponed following the Covid-19 situation.

       It took the officials over an hour to persuade the detainees to get back into their cells.

       Following this, the police have agreed to place some 30 personnel at the detention centre to monitor the situation.

       No one was injured during the ruckus.