By Shannon Teoh
KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — The government hopes to amend up to 33 laws which involve discretionary powers to the home minister, beginning with the controversial Internal Security Act (ISA), in the next Parliament session.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (picture) said that this was because most of them were enacted during an era when the country was under greater threat in its formative years, especially from communist insurgents.
He said that laws such as the Restricted Residence Act which allows confinement of a person to a restricted area and the Crime Prevention Act which governs a policeman's powers of arrest were drafted "before I was born" and were now outdated.
"I hope to table it in the next session," he said of the ISA, referring to the Oct 19 to Dec 15 sitting of Parliament.
Since a review of the ISA was promised by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in his maiden speech as premier back in April, the government has been mulling several changes to the law.
This includes reducing the 60-day detention period without a remand order from a court. Hishammuddin cited the 28-day period implemented in Britain as a comparison.
He also said that his ministry was looking at limiting the number of extension orders which allow detainees to be held for two years at the minister's discretion, the appointment of independent investigating officers and a review of the list of items that are considered to be threats to peace and security.
The Sembrong MP also refuted claims from the opposition that he was maintaining a "government knows best" attitude towards the ISA by stating that the proposals being considered had come from the public and non-governmental organisations.
He claimed that Pakatan Rakyat was only upset because by introducing these public-proposed amendments, "they are losing bullets to shoot during ceramahs to say that the government is not listening to the public."
The home minister also said that the opposition was welcome to submit proposals but that the government would not engage them in discussions as "their behaviour in Parliament shows that they will say anything we do is wrong and not be rational and mature."
He was referring to the constant heckling he received as he tried to reply to a question on the ISA during the question and answer session in the morning.
He had stated that since 2004, 100 individuals had been detained under the Act but only 12 are still being held, half of whom are foreigners.
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