KUALA LUMPUR: Amendments to the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) will only be done after careful scrutiny of the law, says Deputy Home Minister Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman (pic).
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“The Home Ministry is in the process of carrying out a detailed study on the draconian aspects of the law or provisions that we feel are extreme,” he told reporters in Parliament lobby on Tuesday (Oct 15).
He noted that a detailed study on tweaking Sosma was necessary to avoid the Government ending up doing a “flip-flop” if the amendments are done in haste.
“If we are hasty in making the amendments just to please certain quarters, we may end up making mistakes and taking a step backwards instead,” Mohd Azis said.
He said an announcement on the amendments would be made before it is tabled in Parliament.
Pending any changes in policy on Sosma, he said the current law is still applicable.
He added that Pakatan Harapan had never promised to abolish the law in their manifesto, only promising to review draconian laws.
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He also noted that it would be very worrying if lawmakers got embroiled in polemics over the use of Sosma with regard to police investigations into alleged links of certain individuals with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
“For example, if we as ministers, deputy ministers or even the Prime Minister can dictate what the police can do, you should be very worried.
“This is because Pakatan has said that it will not interfere with police investigations,” he added.
When met in Parliament lobby, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said the use of Sosma was raised for discussion during the recent Cabinet meeting.
He said the discussion centred on proposed amendments to Sosma with regard to detention of suspects up to 28 days and access to legal representation during detention.
He said the proposed amendments would be tabled during Parliament’s meeting next year if there was insufficient time to do so before Dec 5.
On the proposed Political Funding Bill, Liew said the Bill would be referred to Parliament’s Special Select Committee on Consideration of Bills before it is tabled in Parliament. – The Star