Malaysia: Opposition still cry hue over DNA bill
The Malaysian opposition parties are still crying hue over the DNA bill that was recently passed by one vote in the country's Parliament despite the assurances by the Home Ministry that DNA databases will not be 'tainted'.
This week, despite strong protest from opposition lawmakers and amid heavy public criticism, the Najib Razak’s government has hammered through a highly controversial DNA Bill that could help it win a sodomy case against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, wrote the Suara Keadilaan.
The opposition says the bill is strongly linked to the case pursued by the regime against Anwar Ibrahim, the democracy icon whom they said has pleaded not guilty to having sodomised an ex-staff in June last year, counter-accusing Najib of political persecution.
According to Malaysian newspapers today, a clause providing that DNA evidence introduced in court is conclusive has been dropped from the final version of the controversial Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Identification Bill 2008.
"It has to be corroborated now. It is no longer conclusive as stated earlier," Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop said as he introduced nine changes to the bill at the committee stage.
He said the changes were introduced to accommodate suggestions made by members during the debate at the policy stage last year.
The changes also included some proposals by non-governmental organisations such as the Bar Council, Abu Seman said.
One of the grouses against the proposed legislation by the opposition was on the appointment of the head of the Malaysian Forensic Data Bank which, in the original text, was to be helmed by a serving police officer.
