Draft Prison Act Amendment At AGC Stage
GEORGE TOWN, May 17 (Bernama) -- The draft of the Prison Act amendment is now at the review stage at the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) before it is expected to be tabled at a Parliament session this year.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the amendment would enable the implementation of the Compulsory Attendance Order on individuals in remand, with focus on non-major offences.
'Suggestions to amend the Act have been passed at the Cabinet level in principle and now theAGC is developing the matrix of the amendment, then we will only table it at Parliament.
'This amendment (was suggested) because currently it is only for light sentences under three years and we want to expand it to 10 years,' he said at a media conference after attending the 235th Prisons Day celebrations at Padang Kota here today.
Penang Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Ramli Ngah Talib officiated the event, which was also attended by Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah and Prisons General Commissioner Datuk Abdul Aziz Abdul Razak.
Saifuddin Nasution also said that the Home Arrest Act would be legal grounds enabling the Prisons Department to implement house arrest officially and after it is approved, guidelines and regulations for implementation will be developed carefully to ensure its effectiveness and guarantee the safety of everyone involved.
The amendment was also part of the efforts to reform prison management with a more humane approach, he added.
'Currently we have over 81,000 inmates in prison and 27,000 remand detainees. Many of them are minor offenders who have never been convicted. So with this new law, these detainees can carry out their sentences at home, with their families while being monitored, for instance, using electronic gadgets before the trial is completed,' he said.
He also announced that the Step Up initiative launched today was the Prisons Department's continuous efforts to strengthen the rehabilitation and support system for former prospects after finishing their sentences and aimed to tackle the stigma against individuals rehabilitated in the prison system who are beginning new lives.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Barnama
Pahang Sultan, Tengku Ampuan Grace Royal Banquet In Conjunction With AIPACODD 2025
KUANTAN, June 10 (Bernama) -- The Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah graced the royal banquet, held in conjunction with the 8th Meeting of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly Advisory Council on Dangerous Drugs (AIPACODD) 2025, at a hotel, here, tonight. Accompanying Al-Sultan Abdullah was Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah. Their Royal Highnesses were greeted on arrival by AIPA president and Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat Tan Sri Johari Abdul; Pahang State Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin; and other state government leaders. Upon arrival, the royal couple took time to visit a stall showcasing renowned Kain Tenun Pahang. Adding to the evening's significance, the banquet featured traditional Pahang delicacies, including patin buah bakar tempoyak and patin buah gulai tempoyak, alongside classic desserts such as puding raja and kuih pena. The dinner was held with the consent of Al-Sultan Abdullah, symbolising the royal institution's support for inter-parliamentary diplomacy, in fostering a safer and more sustainable future for ASEAN. Themed 'Uniting Parliaments for an Inclusive and Sustainable ASEAN in Addressing Contemporary Drug Challenges', the meeting began today to discuss the commitment of ASEAN member states in addressing current drug-related challenges, collectively and comprehensively, particularly on cybercrime and human trafficking issues. The meeting will continue tomorrow, with deliberations and the adoption of the official resolution, before concluding with a closing ceremony and a speech of appreciation by the representative of the Philippines, as the host of the next session. Earlier, Al-Sultan Abdullah granted Johari an audience at Istana Abdulaziz, here, and spent almost an hour discussing and exchanging views, followed by luncheon.
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Syndicate using courier services to transport subsidised cooking oil busted
BUTTERWORTH: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has exposed a new tactic in misappropriating subsidised cooking oil packs using courier services following a raid on a warehouse in Kampung Sungai Puyu here today. Its Penang branch director S. Jegan said 14,380 packets of 1kg subsidised cooking oil packs were seized from the warehouse, along with a lorry and other documents, with a total value of RM204,500. "Preliminary investigations found that the wholesaler used courier services to send the packs in large quantities to an address in Perlis while the packs were brought to the courier warehouse in a lorry in deliveries of twice a month," he told reporters at a media conference at the location of the raid. A man, 60, who was the driver of the lorry was arrested after he failed to provide any license, permit or documents to conduct business, to store or use the controlled item. The case is being investigated under the Control of Supplies Act 1961, he added. – Bernama
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Gerik crash: Survivor recounts being thrown out, body landing on him
GERIK: The tragic accident at Km53 of the East-West Highway (JRTB), near Tasik Banding, Gerik, that claimed the lives of 15 students from the Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI) must have left a traumatic impact on the survivors. One such survivor, Abdul Wafiy Kamarudin, 23, when sharing the harrowing moments with Bernama, said the accident had such a strong impact so much so he was flung out of the bus, and most terrifyingly, a victim's body landed on him. Abdul Wafiy, a sixth-semester student pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Art Education, said he was looking at his mobile phone in the dimness of the night but could feel the bus was on moving quickly as it descended a winding, hilly road. "The bus driver stopped briefly to check the vehicle's brakes before continuing the journey, and suddenly at around 1am, the bus overturned, causing me to be thrown out of the window and into a drain. "The situation at that time was very I was shocked to find a body on top of me. "I was forced to push it off me to save myself," he said when met while collecting his personal belongings at the Gerik district police headquarters here today. However, the youngest among six siblings from Kampung Pak Kancil, Setiu in Terengganu is grateful because he only suffered minor injuries to his hands and face. Meanwhile, Mohd Zaki Ismail, the father to victim Rohadatul Aisy, 21, said his daughter contacted him at about 3am to say that she had been involved in an accident. "At that time, she (Rohadatul Aisy) said she was unable to move due to pain in both her neck and waist but a friend had helped carry her out of the bus. "I immediately left Kampung Gong Badang, Besut in Terengganu at 8 am and arrived at the Gerik Hospital to learn that my daughter suffered a fractured hip," he said. He also said that Rohadatul is receiving further treatment at the Besut Hospital, while he and his wife, Norliza Ghazali, are waiting to retrieve their child's personal belongings from the Gerik police headquarters. In the early morning incident yesterday, 15 UPSI students died when a chartered bus from Jertih to Tanjung Malim overturned after colliding with a Perodua Alza at JRTB near Tasik Banding. The accident also resulted in 33 others being injured, including the bus driver and conductor, as well as the driver and three passengers of the multi-purpose vehicle. – Bernama
