Zahid slams PCA critics
Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday hit out at opponents of the proposed amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA), including political allies MCA and Gerakan, to take a thorough study at the details before criticising the government.
“Where is (the law that says) detention without trial? I have already explained. I would like to urge them to look into the details, to study, not to simply give negative comments without studying the Bill,” he said.
“We are ready to meet them,” the minister added.
MCA and Gerakan leaders had crossed the political divide to chorus against the proposed amendments to the PCA, saying they were against reinstating laws that infringe on human rights similar to the repealed Internal Security Act (ISA) and the Emergency Ordinance (EC).
The government's proposal, he said will not allow for detentions without trial. However, he did not provide any detail other than saying 'the courts will have the last say'.
“I would like to point out that the minister does not have powers. It is still up to the court. There is no detention without trial, OK?," adding that should the move would mean a judicial review be allowed under the amendments on any detention deemed unlawful, the Attorney-General will has the say.
Too many opposition to the proposed amendment since it was tabled at the Dewan Rakyat last week. Not only opposition in Pakatan Rakyat slammed the move, BN component parties, the Bar Council, Suhakam and some NGOs also joined in.
The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), for instance has asked the government to defer the second tabling of amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act in Parliament after it found several provisions of the law were 'inconsistent with human rights principles as enshrined in the Federal Constitution'.
Suhakam chairman Tan Sri Hasmy Agam said although the commission supported the government's effort to tackle serious crime, he was concerned with the proposed amendments, especially the ones relating to detention without trial and legal representation.
"While the Bill proposes an amendment, making it a requirement for inquiry reports to be submitted to the Prevention of Crime Board instead of the minister, the commission views seriously the proposed amendments that deprive the right of a person to legal representation as guaranteed by the Federal Constitution and Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," he said in a statement.
Suhakam, he added, was also concerned with the power given to the board to issue a detention order against a person who has committed two or more serious offences, whether or not he has been convicted.
I think Suhakam, in championing what it says as 'human rights', should tell that to 'The Mother of Human Rights and Freedom', the United States.
Suhakam should tell Barack Obama to close down Guantanamo detention center and abolish its laws that allow suspects of terrorism to be kept there without charges and trial for as long as they wish. We are not even emulating them!
Even DAP MP Gobind Singh Deo should stop croaking about it. He made himself more foolish by calling Zahid 'a foolish minister' just because the latter's statement about PCA 'was not constant'. So what did Gobind prefer? Detention without trial or the rights to fight in court?
Of course a lawyer like Gobind knows the law better and he can boast about it but he can't claim he knows everything about the Home Ministry's policy and approach. Don't tell me he knows medicine and economics too.
And there was no need for him to be such a snobbish!
The Bar Council, in describing the move as 'bringing back ISA and EO' should study and understand the security situation in the country before lashing out at the government for 'tricking' the rakyat over the detention without trial issue.
In fact, the Council should take a fresh look at its constitution - instead of giving attention to the well being and welfare of its members, those at the helm are more into finding faults in practicing members, collecting annual fee and imposing high fee for their license.
Malaysians are well supporting what Zahid is doing for the country, and for the rakyat. Even former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is with him.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes the country needs preventive laws as the people are still “not that developed or educated”.
The former prime minister said Malaysia still needs harsh laws, adding that the proposed amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA) were necessary.
“The moment we removed the law see what happened?” he told reporters after presenting the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation scholarships to students at Sunway University on Friday.
“I think the country still needs that kind of harsh law,” he added.
Dr Mahathir had previously cautioned the Government against totally abolishing the Internal Security Act and repealing the three Emergency Ordinances last year.
The repeal of the three Emergency Ordinances was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Malaysia Day 2011.
Zahid has also stressed out that the PCA was merely an effort to combat serious crime in the country, and as such politicians and others should not worry, unless they have a 'special agenda' to run down the country via subversive means.
On Wednesday, IGP Khalid Abu Bakar said the police will not hesitate to take stern action on those trying to revive Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) or spread its ideology in the country by any forms.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said to prevent any such attempt, memorabilia or material related to the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and its former secretary-general Chin Peng are banned.
“Chin Peng was never a citizen of Malaysia and his ashes will not be allowed into the country. We will ensure that it is not smuggled in,” he said after a meeting with armed forces chief General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin on a joint crime prevention campaign between police and the armed forces at the Defence Ministry in Jalan Padang Tembak.
He advised politicians to exercise caution when making comments on CPM and Chin Peng and not to cause confusion among the public.
Khalid was commenting on the seizure of VCDs and memorabilia related to Chin Peng from two men at the Bayan Lepas International Airport in Penang on Tuesday night.
“There was a similar attempt to smuggle in such items days earlier at Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah,” he said adding police intelligence revealed that there were others attempting to smuggle Chin Peng’s ashes for burial here.
So, why worry when Zahid already reiterated that the law is only for crime prevention, especially the major ones. Why are DAP leaders, Bar Council and others so worried?
Do they have any plan 'to terrorise' the country? If not, just support the amendments!
Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday hit out at opponents of the proposed amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA), including political allies MCA and Gerakan, to take a thorough study at the details before criticising the government.
“Where is (the law that says) detention without trial? I have already explained. I would like to urge them to look into the details, to study, not to simply give negative comments without studying the Bill,” he said.“We are ready to meet them,” the minister added.MCA and Gerakan leaders had crossed the political divide to chorus against the proposed amendments to the PCA, saying they were against reinstating laws that infringe on human rights similar to the repealed Internal Security Act (ISA) and the Emergency Ordinance (EC).
The government's proposal, he said will not allow for detentions without trial. However, he did not provide any detail other than saying 'the courts will have the last say'.
“I would like to point out that the minister does not have powers. It is still up to the court. There is no detention without trial, OK?," adding that should the move would mean a judicial review be allowed under the amendments on any detention deemed unlawful, the Attorney-General will has the say.
Too many opposition to the proposed amendment since it was tabled at the Dewan Rakyat last week. Not only opposition in Pakatan Rakyat slammed the move, BN component parties, the Bar Council, Suhakam and some NGOs also joined in.
The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), for instance has asked the government to defer the second tabling of amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act in Parliament after it found several provisions of the law were 'inconsistent with human rights principles as enshrined in the Federal Constitution'.
Suhakam chairman Tan Sri Hasmy Agam said although the commission supported the government's effort to tackle serious crime, he was concerned with the proposed amendments, especially the ones relating to detention without trial and legal representation."While the Bill proposes an amendment, making it a requirement for inquiry reports to be submitted to the Prevention of Crime Board instead of the minister, the commission views seriously the proposed amendments that deprive the right of a person to legal representation as guaranteed by the Federal Constitution and Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," he said in a statement.Suhakam, he added, was also concerned with the power given to the board to issue a detention order against a person who has committed two or more serious offences, whether or not he has been convicted.
I think Suhakam, in championing what it says as 'human rights', should tell that to 'The Mother of Human Rights and Freedom', the United States.
Suhakam should tell Barack Obama to close down Guantanamo detention center and abolish its laws that allow suspects of terrorism to be kept there without charges and trial for as long as they wish. We are not even emulating them!
Even DAP MP Gobind Singh Deo should stop croaking about it. He made himself more foolish by calling Zahid 'a foolish minister' just because the latter's statement about PCA 'was not constant'. So what did Gobind prefer? Detention without trial or the rights to fight in court?
Of course a lawyer like Gobind knows the law better and he can boast about it but he can't claim he knows everything about the Home Ministry's policy and approach. Don't tell me he knows medicine and economics too.
And there was no need for him to be such a snobbish!
The Bar Council, in describing the move as 'bringing back ISA and EO' should study and understand the security situation in the country before lashing out at the government for 'tricking' the rakyat over the detention without trial issue.
In fact, the Council should take a fresh look at its constitution - instead of giving attention to the well being and welfare of its members, those at the helm are more into finding faults in practicing members, collecting annual fee and imposing high fee for their license.
Malaysians are well supporting what Zahid is doing for the country, and for the rakyat. Even former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is with him.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes the country needs preventive laws as the people are still “not that developed or educated”.The former prime minister said Malaysia still needs harsh laws, adding that the proposed amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA) were necessary.“The moment we removed the law see what happened?” he told reporters after presenting the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation scholarships to students at Sunway University on Friday.“I think the country still needs that kind of harsh law,” he added.Dr Mahathir had previously cautioned the Government against totally abolishing the Internal Security Act and repealing the three Emergency Ordinances last year.The repeal of the three Emergency Ordinances was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Malaysia Day 2011.
Zahid has also stressed out that the PCA was merely an effort to combat serious crime in the country, and as such politicians and others should not worry, unless they have a 'special agenda' to run down the country via subversive means.
On Wednesday, IGP Khalid Abu Bakar said the police will not hesitate to take stern action on those trying to revive Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) or spread its ideology in the country by any forms.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said to prevent any such attempt, memorabilia or material related to the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and its former secretary-general Chin Peng are banned.“Chin Peng was never a citizen of Malaysia and his ashes will not be allowed into the country. We will ensure that it is not smuggled in,” he said after a meeting with armed forces chief General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin on a joint crime prevention campaign between police and the armed forces at the Defence Ministry in Jalan Padang Tembak.He advised politicians to exercise caution when making comments on CPM and Chin Peng and not to cause confusion among the public.Khalid was commenting on the seizure of VCDs and memorabilia related to Chin Peng from two men at the Bayan Lepas International Airport in Penang on Tuesday night.“There was a similar attempt to smuggle in such items days earlier at Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah,” he said adding police intelligence revealed that there were others attempting to smuggle Chin Peng’s ashes for burial here.
So, why worry when Zahid already reiterated that the law is only for crime prevention, especially the major ones. Why are DAP leaders, Bar Council and others so worried?
Do they have any plan 'to terrorise' the country? If not, just support the amendments!
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