Public safety first
(NST) – We must have the right intention when doing things
PCA AMENDMENTS: The number of advisory board members on Prevention of Crime Board increased; remand period reduced from 72 days to 60 days
KUALA LUMPUR: AFTER a lengthy and fiery debate, the Dewan Rakyat approved amendments to the 1959 Prevention of Crime Act early yesterday, with the government insisting that the safety of the people and the security of the nation must come first.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, in his winding-up speech, said the bill took into account the interests of the people, crime victims and the police.
He said there was a lot of engagements and public consultations in drawing up the amendments.
He lashed out at the opposition for claiming that provisions under the act were against human rights.
“What human rights are you talking about when you do not defend the rights of the victims that got killed? How about the rights of the police when they got bashed
“We must have the right intention when doing things,” he said.
The amendments via the Prevention of Crime (Amendment and Extension) Bill 2013 were hotly debated by both sides of the aisle at the policy stage after it was tabled last week.
It went through its second reading on Tuesday and continued on Wednesday.
Before the committee stage debate took off at 6.40pm on Wednesday, Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) requested that voting be based on en bloc voting.
Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia then ordered that the bell to be rung to alert members of parliament outside the lower House to enter the august chamber to vote.
The voting then took place, with 115 Barisan Nasional MPs, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, ministers and most of the government backbenchers voting for the amendments.
Sixty-six opposition MPs voted against.
The house then proceeded with the debate.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim then tabled a motion to extend the Dewan Rakyat’s business past midnight using Standing Order 90(2), a very rare occurance in the history of the House.
In the end, all 10 proposed amendments by six opposition members were rejected.
The amendments included provisions involving detention without trial and restrictions under judicial review.
Out of 28 sections debated at the committee stage, amendments adopted included increasing the number of advisory board members on the newly minted Prevention of Crime Board from three to five members and reducing the remand period from 72 days to 60 days.
The bill then proceeded to its third reading and the lower house adopted it at 12.50am.
With the passing of bill, police had started talks yesterday on updating their standard operating procedures (SOP) and improving the Inspector-General of Police Standing Orders.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the bill would energise the force to combat crime, especially organised crime, and that they needed to act fast in order to keep up with the government.
“We are in the midst of preparations. So, when the bill is gazetted, it can be implemented straightaway. The existing SOP just needs to be updated according to the latest amendments,” he said at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here.
