Sosma renewal bid pushed back to March

A motion to renew provisions under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) has been pushed back to the next Parliament session in March.

Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the motion, which was on the order paper, was supposed to be debated today.

However, it was taken out because the government had expected there to be a lengthy debate on PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's syariah courts motion.

He added that the recent detention of Bersih chief Maria Chin Abdullah would also have likely led to a lengthy debate, which there was no time for.

"In March there will be more time to debate this matter in a more rational way," Nur Jazlan said.

Parliament ended today at 4pm.

Currently, Sosma empowers police to exercise preventive detention from 31 July 2012 to 30 July 2017.- Mkini