Govt mulls preventive law

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Forum on Aug 24 to get feedback on law to replace Emergency Ordinance

KUCHING: Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) and Asian Strategy of Leadership Institute (Asli) will hold a forum on the introduction of a new law which allows preventive detention to replace the Emergency Ordinance (EO) on Aug 24.

MCPF vice chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam in disclosing this to The Borneo Post yesterday said the forum entitled Current Legislation and Other Measures to fight serious and violent crimes more effectively to be held at the Sunway Resort Hotel in Selangor was in response to the sharp rise of violent crimes since the abolishment of the EO.

“We have received calls and feedback from the public about their concern that the country is sliding to a state of lawlessness.”

The key topics in the forum would be a discussion on whether the police are equipped with adequate laws and resources to tackle crimes and what further measures could be adopted to help them in this task.

“Does Malaysia have sufficient crime prevention laws? Do we need additional legislation, especially new legislation of a preventive nature to deal with an exceptional situation as the one we are facing now? What other measures can be adopted to reduce the crime rate.”

Lee added that the setting up of a high-powered task force to investigate and track down those responsible for the recent shootings had not reassured the public that violent crimes could be controlled.

Meanwhile, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the government viewed the enactment of a new law to fill the vacuum created by the abolishment of the EO as a serious and urgent matter.

However, the process of creating a new law was not so simple and the public forum would provide a venue for the government to get feedback from the public including academicians and NGOs who had opposed to the EO which was repealed in 2011.

“Presently, no decision has been made but something must be done somewhere or somehow to stop increasing fatal shootings,” Wan Junaidi said.

Besides the public forum, a lab on preventive laws to replace the EO headed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) CEO Senator Datuk Seri Idris Jala will be held after the Hari Raya holidays.

This was disclosed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Nancy Shukri when speaking to reporters after visiting the pediatric ward at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) here yesterday.

She added that the police already had a raw draft for them to study together with the Attorney-General’s Office and the discussion would also make comparison between various laws in other countries like US and Singapore.

“We are expected to table it in Parliament in September, but right now we are still looking into the appropriate provisions,” she said,

Nancy, who is also Batang Sadong MP, said the EO is gone for good but it would be replaced with other similar laws to enhance public safety.

The police had to use existing laws for now but the new one would assist them in facing the issue of serious repeat offenders and rise in violent crimes, she said.

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