PR to stop BN from 'sneaking-in' another draconian law

The proposed new "preventive law" to tackle crime with a committee to draft it headed by minister in the Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala has been slammed by Pakatan Rakyat today, who warned that the BN government had proven it could not be trusted with the power of preventive detention.

"The BN government has time and again proven that they cannot be trusted with the power of preventive detention," said human rights lawyer and PKR vice president N Surendran, in response to a report that the government was drafting the new law.

Besides Idris, others in the drafting committee are his colleagues Nancy Shukri, Paul Low and Home minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

But Surendran reminded that stiff opposition awaits the BN if it went ahead with tabling it in parliament.

"We will fight such laws at every stage of its tabling in the Dewan Rakyat, we will never surrender the fundamental rights of the rakyat. We call upon the Prime Minister to drop the intention of tabling such laws, and instead focus upon creating a better-trained and more efficient police force," he told Harakahdaily in a statement.

Surendran recalled the arrest of six Parti Sosialis Malaysia activists under the Emergency Ordinance in 2011 in the days leading to the mammoth Bersih rally. The abolition of the EO has been cited by BN leaders and top police personnel as reason behind rising crime, arguing that hardcore criminals were no longer worried of being detained.

Surendran however warned that the BN was trying to exploit the public's fear of rising crime by introducing another draconian law which it would use against political opponents.

"Under the cover of the current public concern over crime, the BN is trying to sneak in again preventive detention laws. The BN's real purpose is to subsequently use these laws to threaten and punish legitimate political dissent, as happened in the case of the PSM 6," said Surendran.

He reiterated PR's stand that existing laws including Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code were already in place, and underlined the importance of more efficient policing as well as redistribution of the police's priorities to make crime-fighting a focus.

"The police must also be freed from unnecessary political tasks on behalf of the BN, such as spying on and prosecuting opposition and civil society leaders and activists. Using the police for these unconstitutional political tasks is a serious waste of resources and demoralizes the police force," he added.

A series of incidents involving the use of firearms and dangerous weapons in the past two months have shocked the nation with many fearing their personal safety amid rising crime.

But it was Saturday's shooting of 29-year old whistle-blower R Sri Sanjeevan, who heads vocal anti-crime watchdog MyWatch, which has renewed public calls on the authorities to be more serious in fighting crime. Closely following the incident was the fatal shooting in broad day light of 75-year old Hussain Ahmad Najadi, founder of the Arab-Malaysian Bank, in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

Several quarters have also urged the government to implement the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission, saying it would enhance police professionalism. -HD