Patience, draconian laws will go in good time, says Hanipa

Deputy Minister in Prime Minister's Department Hanipa Maidin has urged those calling for draconian laws from the BN era to be abolished to be patient, as there is much cleaning up to be done after the previous administration.

In a statement today, Hanipa said that many Pakatan Harapan leaders, including himself, have been victims under various draconian laws, and the government is committed to having these laws abolished or reviewed.

While the pledge to abolish various draconian laws was in the Harapan general election manifesto, he pointed out that it is not one of the things listed in the achievables promised in the first 100 days of the new administration.

“For me, any call to get rid of draconian laws or draconian provisions is something valid. If they don't bring it up to Harapan, who would they bring it up to?

“I only hope the people can be a little more patient with us, just as we have been very patient with BN over the past 60 years," said the deputy minister in charge of law.

“This is because there is far too much damage left by the previous regime for us and for you. This is not an excuse, but a sincere request from us.

“I will do my best to try to realise the aspirations of the people in my official capacity. I am sure that is also the commitment of the prime minister and the cabinet members.”

Hanipa was responding to an NGO that had sent him, Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto and Batu Gajah MP V Sivakumar a memorandum on the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).

They were also met by family members of several detainees.

The memorandum, he said, sought to have a provision in Sosma amended so that the detained can receive bail, and hoped this could be done at the current parliamentary sitting.

Having debated various draconian laws at length as opposition MPs, and suffered under them as well, Hanipa said they knew what the family members had to go through.

Civil society has been constantly reminding Harapan of the promise to repeal numerous laws such as Sosma and the Anti Fake News Act since the coalition took over Putrajaya in the historic May 9 general election.

Before the election, Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang had suggested a single bill to be drafted to tackle all the laws that need reviewing. - Mkini