Sosma amendments to be tabled in next Dewan meeting

Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says it will be tabled after stakeholder engagements have been completed and approval is given by the Cabinet.

Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the bill is at its final stage of review, involving detailed checks by relevant agencies.

PETALING JAYA:

 A bill to amend the controversial Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) is expected to be tabled at the next Parliament meeting, says home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

In a written parliamentary reply, Saifuddin said the bill is at its final stage of review, involving detailed checks by his ministry, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the police.

“It will be tabled in the next parliamentary meeting once all stakeholder engagement processes have been completed and approval has been obtained from the Cabinet,” he said.

Saifuddin added that the government remained committed to reforming Sosma to strike a balance between ensuring national security and protecting human rights.

He was responding to RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) who sought clarification on the timeframe for the implementation of reforms to Sosma.

Sosma has remained a contentious piece of legislation since its enactment in 2012, with sustained calls from civil society groups and lawmakers for reforms to address concerns over due process and civil liberties, while maintaining necessary national security safeguards.

The government’s review of the law was supposed to examine the 28-day detention rule and Section 30 of the Act, which mandates that acquitted detainees remain in custody pending an appeal.

Rayer had previously urged Putrajaya to suspend the use of Sosma until the law was amended given that its present form was prone to abuse. - FMT