Latest news with #RegistrationofCriminalsandUndesirablePersonsAct1969
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Bosses willing to give minor offenders a chance
PETALING JAYA: Employers are all for employing individuals previously convicted of minor offences. But they also have some proposals for the government to consider before amending the Registration of Criminals and Undesirable Persons Act 1969 (Act 7) to expunge the record of individuals convicted of non-violent or minor offences after a reasonable period. Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said such individuals deserve a second chance and with the right treatment and guidance, they could become assets to the nation. ALSO READ : Progressive shift towards rehabilitation 'It is our moral and social duty to help rehabilitate them into society,' he said. 'Employers are willing to give opportunities to these individuals. Nobody is perfect. 'Sometimes, due to circumstances and influence, people make mistakes.' Syed Hussain urged the government to work with the industry to train these groups. 'Making them industry-ready is important. We should use HRD Corp funds to identify and allocate resources to meet industry needs,' he said. Syed Hussain added that MEF is ready to work with the government to create such programmes and opportunities. SME Association president Dr Chin Chee Seong said the move to expunge records must not be done automatically. 'The question is not how long before the records are expunged but what kind of offences they were involved in,' he said. ALSO READ : Red tape blocks road to redemption Chin said it is also important to maintain some information even when the record is expunged so that employers know where to place their workers. For example, he said those involved in financial crime should not be placed in positions that involve money. He also proposed that an assessment period of three years be given to such employees. Based on the recommendation of employers, they should be allowed to expunge the records, Chin added. Recently, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the government is currently in the process of amending the Act. The Act serves as a legal authority to register individuals who have been convicted of offences listed in the First and Second Schedules of Act 7 in the criminal register. 'The proposed amendments have been agreed upon in principle by the Cabinet on May 21,' he said.
The Star
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Erasing record of non-violent or minor offences under study
AN amendment to expunge the record of individuals convicted of non-violent or minor offences after a reasonable period is being mulled, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. He said the ministry is currently in the process of amending the Registration of Criminals and Undesirable Persons Act 1969 (Act 7). The Act serves as a legal authority to register individuals who have been convicted of offences listed in the First and Second Schedules of Act 7 in the criminal register. 'The proposed amendments have been agreed upon in principle by the Cabinet on May 21. 'Among them is the introduction of a 'spent' mechanism, allowing individuals who have not committed new offences within a reasonable period to be considered as having 'no record' in the criminal register,' he said. He was responding to a question by Wong Chen (PH-Subang) who had asked whether the government is considering erasing the records of those convicted for non-violent or minor offences. Saifuddin Nasution said the legal reform will provide a second chance to those previously convicted to enable them to pursue opportunities such as employment and further education.
The Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Home Ministry mulls striking out minor, non-violent offences from criminal record after set period
KUALA LUMPUR: An amendment to expunge individuals convicted for non-violent or minor offences after a reasonable period is being mulled, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. The Home Minister said that the ministry is currently in the process of amending the Registration of Criminals and Undesirable Persons Act 1969 (Act 7). The Act serves as a legal authority to register individuals who have been convicted of offences listed in the First and Second Schedules of Act 7 in the criminal register. 'The proposed amendments have been agreed upon in principle by the Cabinet on May 21. 'Among the proposed amendments is the introduction of a "spent" mechanism, allowing individuals who do not commit new offences within a reasonable period to be considered as having 'no record' in the criminal register,' he said in a written parliamentary reply on Thursday (July 24). He was responding to a question by Wong Chen (PH-Subang) who had asked whether the government is considering erasing the criminal records of those convicted for non-violent or minor offences. Saifuddin said that the legal reform would provide a second chance for those previously recorded. He added that this would enable them to pursue opportunities such as employment and further education, both domestically and internationally. 'The process of amending this law will take into account the views of various stakeholders through ongoing and future engagement sessions before the proposed amendments are tabled in Parliament,' he added.
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Govt mulls expunging minor criminal records
KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry is considering legal reforms that could allow individuals convicted of minor, non-violent offences to have their criminal records expunged after demonstrating good behaviour for a reasonable period following their release. In a written reply to Subang member of parliament Wong Chen, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the ministry is in the process of amending the Registration of Criminals and Undesirable Persons Act 1969 (Act 7), which governs the listing of individuals convicted of offences in the criminal registry. He said the cabinet had agreed in principle to the proposed amendments on May 21 this year. "One of the key proposals is the introduction of a 'spent' mechanism, which allows individuals who do not commit any new offences within a reasonable timeframe to be considered as having no criminal record in the registry," Saifuddin said. "This move is aimed at giving deserving individuals a second chance at life, including opportunities to gain employment or pursue further education, whether locally or abroad," he added. He said stakeholder engagement sessions are ongoing and will continue to be held before the proposed amendments are tabled in parliament.
New Straits Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Expunging criminal records
THE Prisons Department has a good idea. It wants to expunge ex-inmates' criminal records from the central database after five years. This is to give former prisoners, once they are released, a chance to seek employment to rebuild their lives. For sure, the stigma of their criminal record will be a hurdle to start a new life. Despite the department's numerous programmes with willing employers, ex-inmates find it hard to get jobs. The job market is more hostile to former prisoners. It cannot be denied that there are businesses that employ ex-inmates, but they are few. Plus, they don't pay much. Yes, everyone must be given a second chance, but it must be done in such a manner that it doesn't end up as another money-making scheme for those who are put in charge of this. To be fair to the Prisons Department, it didn't say anything about contracting out anything, but this caveat needs to be entered, as outsourcing by government agencies at times turns out to be just that. But we are getting ahead of the story. First things first. Amendments need to be made to the Registration of Criminals and Undesirable Persons Act 1969 (Act 7), which the Prisons Department is drafting. As we understand from what Prisons Department director-general Datuk Abdul Aziz Abdul Razak told Utusan Malaysia, every year, more than 300,000 prisoners and remand detainees are released. That is a huge number. Will the records of all of them be expunged after five years? Not quite. Only the ones who exhibit good behaviour based on assessments by the department. Meticulously done, we hope. Why five years? In the view of Aziz, who has been in charge of prisoners for some time, five years is enough for inmates to change for the better. It is not exactly a best practice of prisons around the world, but five years has become a global indicator. In the United States, where recidivism is said to be high, with 76 per cent ending up back in jail, five years is thought to be not good for all prisoners. We are not sure if our Prisons Department has done such a study, but five years may work for some, and not for others. Again, meticulous assessment is the key. Another is to deepen investments in inmates' education so that they can walk out of the prison with provable skills. Not that the department isn't investing in the education of its inmates, but more needs to be done. The skills must be useful to the job market, meaning what is taught must match what the employers want. Even our universities are not doing a good job of this. No one wants a formerly incarcerated person to return to the overcrowded prisons, least of all the Prisons Department. Relapse among ex-inmates means a bigger budget to house and feed them, which it can ill afford. So, too, the ex-inmates because losing the second chance means that there won't be a third. Employers must help them make a fresh start.
