There will be no retraction of the proposed bill on amendments to the Preventive Crime Act but a review of the contentious provisions before the laws are passed by Parliament said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. "We are firm on the matter and will not retract the bills. "However, we are open to suggestions and are willing to make changes and fine tune to the bill when it reaches the Committee Stage in Dewan Rakyat," he told reporters this at Parliament lobby here today. Zahid said he had met up with representatives from various civil society groups to gain feedback on the proposed laws. He added that any proposed changes to the provision of then bill must be brought before the Cabinet for approval. On question of the lack of judicial review of suspects detained for two-years under the proposed law, Zahid said hinted that there would likely to be changes to the bill. He brushed aside opposition lawmakers protest that three days allocated for debates were insufficient time. Last Wednesday, the government tabled 11 bills in Dewan Rakyat to give more bite to preventive laws against organised crime. Civil society groups including lawmakers from both sides of the political divide have voiced opposition against the provision in the CPA that allows for detention of a suspect without trial for two years with limited recourse to judicial review.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 07:49:49 +0000
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