Will new security laws be a rush job?

The current Dewan Rakyat session will end in two weeks, but the AG has not consulted stakeholders on the bills to replace the ISA.

PETALING JAYA: With just two weeks left for the government to table bills to replace the Internal Security Act (ISA), the Attorney General’s office is yet to consult the major stakeholders.

Last week, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said his officials had met with the Attorney General (AG) to give their input on the new laws, but he added that the second drafts were “yet to be out”.

Earlier, he had said that the AG would consult stakeholders from civil society, although he did not specify who these stakeholders would be.

Bar Council President Lim Chee Wee said the AG had informed him that the council would be consulted, but he added that he was still waiting to be contacted.

There is fear that that the Dewan Rakyat might not have enough time to go deeply into the bills before voting on them.

“I understand that the ISA replacement legislation is still being debated within the government,” Lim told FMT.

He said the ideal process would be for MPs and other stakeholders to have enough time to scrutinise the bills and for the AG to consolidate different opinions into them.

“The ideal position is for adequate time for consultation and for different versions after each round to be made available for consultation,” he said.

“However, at the end of the day, the government will have to make the policy decisions and accept the consequences when the final version is tabled, and respect the stakeholders’ freedom to still criticise the final version after the consultation process.”

Another assumed stakeholder is Suhakam. It has not been consulted either.

Suhakam commissioner Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah said that he would like the government to share the draft bills with the human rights body just as it has shared it with other government agencies.

By the statute under which Suhakam was formed, he said, the government was obliged to consult it on matters concerning human rights. “By law, we are to advice the government on matters related to human rights and make sure the government complies with accepted standards.

“We would like to see the draft bills so that we can advice the government. Whether they take our advice, it is up to them.”

The AG’s office has not responded to FMT queries on the matter.

The government did consult both the Bar Council and Suhakam before tabling the controversial Peaceful Assembly Bill last year. It was passed on Nov 29 without being voted on by opposition MPs, who walked out of the Dewan Rakyat. Some civic groups are still protesting against it.