The government has agreed to look into certain provisions in the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) 2012 and will engage with the relevant stakeholders, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Ramkarpal Singh said.
The DAP lawmaker said he met with Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who has drawn flak over his stand on the controversial law, to discuss various legal-related issues.
“Among others, we discussed Sosma and the need for it to be further studied to address various aspects which have drawn considerable criticism, such as the provision which limits the granting of bail.
“I am happy to announce that Saifuddin has agreed with my proposal to commence the necessary engagement with all stakeholders concerned for the purpose stated above,” Ramkarpal (above) added in a statement this afternoon.
He said his ministry would work closely with the Home Ministry on this matter.
“I will be inviting all relevant stakeholders, including officials from the Home Ministry and the police, to start the said engagement process as soon as possible,” he added.
Yesterday, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang urged the government to prioritise legal reforms, noting that several of the party’s elected representatives were detained under Sosma for their purported ties with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the past.
Memorandum sent to Saifuddin
On Tuesday, three Pakatan Harapan MPs, including DAP’s V Ganabatirau, inked a memorandum to Saiffudin calling for a review of the legislation and for detainees to be granted bail.
Ganapatirau was among the five Hindraf leaders detained without trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in 2007.
“I was detained without trial for 455 days.
“I know what these men have gone through and it upsets me that people still believe that Sosma shouldn’t be abolished,” he had told reporters.
Sosma had replaced the ISA, which was repealed during the time of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.
Those present when the memorandum was submitted to Saifuddin’s aide outside of Parliament were the families of 57 individuals accused of being members of “Geng Sakai” and “Geng 08 GST”, who have been in the Sungai Buloh Prison since June 2021 and 2022.
Both groups are set to face trial in court in 2024, after being charged under the Penal Code.
The families requested Saifuddin to review provisions in the law, which are deemed to be unjust and argued that detentions under Sosma run foul of the Federal Constitution.
It was also alleged that most of the individuals were arrested without being charged or re-arrested without reason.
The memorandum also highlighted the negative effects of Sosma on families as most of the detainees come from lower-income backgrounds or were the sole breadwinners. - Mkini
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