Sosma will go soon, AG reassures

Tommy Thomas says the controversial law will be abolished despite objections from certain quarters in government and the legal fraternity.

AG Tommy Thomas says he was surprised some criminal lawyers had told him, off-record, that Sosma is needed to deal with gangsters.

KUALA LUMPUR: Attorney-General Tommy Thomas today gave the assurance that the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) will be abolished despite resistance from certain quarters within the government and the legal fraternity.

Thomas said that this was because the controversial law, which was passed in 2012, is against civil liberties.

“The law will go soon, subject to consultation with many ministries.

“It is just a matter of time,” he said, adding that the matter needs to be managed carefully.

He said he was surprised that some criminal lawyers had told him, off-record, that Sosma was needed in dealing with gangsters.

Thomas said this at a forum on the status of institutional reforms after 100 days, organised by the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) and the London School of Economics Alumni Society of Malaysia.

In July, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government would abolish Sosma, which is widely seen as a replacement of the Internal Security Act (ISA), which has been repealed.

The previous Barisan Nasional government had defended this law, saying it was needed to deter extremists, including those linked to the Islamic State.

Under Sosma, a person can be detained for a maximum of 28 days and police can delay his access to family and legal counsel for up to 48 hours after being arrested.

Among the hundreds who were arrested under Sosma was Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah, who was detained for 11 days for her role in leading the Bersih 5 rally in Kuala Lumpur in November 2016.

It was also used against former Batu Kawan Umno leader Khairuddin Abu Hassan over his role in reporting the 1MDB scandal to foreign authorities - FMT