The proposed amendments to the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) are currently under study, according to Deputy Minister Ramkarpal Singh. He expressed confidence that the government will consider the recommendations for the amendments in the near future. The Home Ministry, police, and Attorney General’s Chambers are conducting the study. The purpose of these amendments is to review and update Sosma in line with current circumstances. Ramkarpal also appealed to the family members of Sosma detainees to end their hunger strike, particularly for the sake of the young children involved.
Ramkarpal, who is the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), mentioned that he has chaired a total of 12 engagement sessions since February to obtain a comprehensive understanding of this law. These sessions involved the detainees, their family members, and other relevant stakeholders. The purpose of these engagement sessions is to assess the impact of Sosma on the daily lives of the detainees’ family members. The proposed amendments to Sosma will take into account the results of these engagement sessions to ensure that the improvements are suitable.
On Monday, about 100 family members of 69 Sosma detainees began a hunger strike in front of the Sungai Buloh Prison. The protest was organized to express their dissatisfaction with the detention of the inmates, with the majority of protesters being the wives and children of the detainees. The detainees, 34 of whom were held at the Sungai Buloh Prison and the rest at the Alor Setar Prison, initiated a hunger strike a day prior to the protest. The family members are demanding that the authorities either bring charges against the detainees or release them.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
