Families of Sosma detainees protest outside Parliament

A number of families of Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) detainees, with the support of DAP, PSM and Suaram, gathered outside Parliament today to protest against the usage of detention without trial laws.

DAP leaders such as Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo, Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang, Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh and Klang MP Charles Santiago brought the families' representatives into Parliament where they handed over a memorandum to the Dewan Rakyat speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.

"This memorandum is asking to abolish Sosma... there is no need (for Pakatan Harapan) to arrest its own members because two Harapan excos were arrested.

"This is very disappointing because it is the people within Harapan working together which made Harapan successful, but now the ones getting arrested are our own people, most disappointing.

"Secondly, there is no need to use a cruel act like Sosma to take action," Umah Devi, one of the families' representatives, said to reporters outside Parliament today.

She is the wife of DAP's Gadek assemblyperson G Saminathan, who was arrested in October under Sosma for purported links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), along with DAP's Seremban Jaya assemblyperson P Gunasekaran.

A total of 12 people, including current and former DAP, PKR and PAS members, were detained by police since Oct 10 over purported links to LTTE, a defunct separatist group in Sri Lanka.

Gobind (above) said he would bring this matter to the cabinet tomorrow so that immediate action can be taken.

"I have brought up this matter repeatedly and have been told that action will be taken, but this is something that should be announced by the related ministers.

"I feel that we have to look at this matter seriously," he said.

Meanwhile, Ramkarpal said Sosma has to be abolished completely as a large part of it is "draconian".

"If you look at the entire Sosma, the majority of it, 80 to 90 percent, is draconian, so those 80 to 90 percent need to go... so it is better to repeal the entire legislation.

"It is necessary to replace it with something less draconian," he said.

The government had previously suggested that the act be amended to make it less draconian.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Liew Vui Keong (above) told reporters in the Parliament building later that they have looked into the various provisions of Sosma.

However, he said there is still a need for a security law in the country.

"Like it or not, we still need a security law in the country because we will have issues with our security if we are not careful.

"We are looking into reviewing the arrest provision, the period which is 28 days at the moment... and also to give access to legal counsel to those who have been detained," he said.

He declined to reveal more details about the government's plans for Sosma as it is under the purview of the Home Ministry. - Mkini