PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for a review of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), said government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil.
Fahmi, who is also the communications minister, said several aspects of the Act will be scrutinised for improvement.
He said home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail will provide the Dewan Rakyat with further details of the review soon.
Asked at a post-Cabinet meeting press conference what prompted the review, Fahmi said “the government will continue its efforts (in reviewing the law) from time to time”.
On Feb 12, five former Pakatan Harapan MPs urged the government to abolish Sosma, saying it was time for the home ministry to be accountable for treatment of detainees remanded under the Act.
Ong Kian Ming, Khalid Samad, Kasthuri Patto, Noor Amin Ahmad and Maria Chin Abdullah said the government should assess if the law was necessary.
They also said there had been too many reports and protests by Sosma detainees over poor treatment and long delays in their court hearings.
Sosma was enforced in 2012 by Najib Razak’s administration as a replacement for the now-abolished Internal Security Act.
Under Sosma, a police officer may arrest and detain an individual whom they believe to be involved in security offences without a warrant.
On Monday, human rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) urged Anwar to intervene after the home ministry refused to accept a memorandum from family members of Sosma detainees demanding urgent answers about the well-being of their loved ones.
The families, who staged a hunger strike outside Sungai Buloh prison last weekend, gathered at the ministry’s building here to push for a meeting with officials and hand over the memorandum.
Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 amendments still being discussed
Fahmi said a memorandum on potential amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 was presented to the Cabinet last week, and the matter is still at the policy stage.
“There is a need to amend the Act as there are inconsistencies with other laws that must be harmonised and improved,” he said.
“But, until the amendments are made, the existing law applies.”
Last week, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Azam Baki said a bill to amend the Act is expected to be tabled in Parliament in March or April.
However, he said the amendments are subject to the Cabinet’s approval.
