Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says there is a trend of serious and organised crimes declining after the Prevention of Crime Act was amended. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, November 18, 2015.Serious and organised crimes have dropped 15.5% after the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA) was amended and enforced 18 months ago to re-introduce detention without trial, Putrajaya said.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said this was shown through a study on serious crimes by the police before and after the PCA was implemented.
"The PCA was amended in 2013 to handle serious and organised crime after the Internal Security Act (ISA) was abolished. At that time, we could see a clear increase in serious and organised crimes, forcing the government to enforce the laws that were already in place.
"After 18 months of implementation, we can see the trend of serious and organised crimes declining. This is proven following a study carried out by the police for 18 months before and after it was enforced, showing a 15.5% reduction," Zahid said in a parliamentary written reply.
The opposition had fought against the passing of the amendments in the Dewan Rakyat in 2013, saying the changes were similar to the repealed ISA, which allowed for detention without trial.
The amendments include detention without trial, restrictions on judicial reviews, secrecy provisions and recital of Article 149 in the preamble, which the opposition claims is inconsistent with basic human rights guaranteed in the Federal Constitution.
Similar to the old ISA, the proposed amendments exclude the provision of judicial review, except if it is on procedural measures.
Zahid also said, in the written reply, that so far no arrests have been made under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (Pota), which officially came into effect on September 1.
Zahid, who is also deputy prime minister, said previously that the government tabled Pota in Parliament in March 2015, to ensure no one escaped from legal action if they were involved in acts of violence.
Many in the legal fraternity had opposed the passing of Pota in the Dewan Rakyat earlier this year, claiming that some of its provisions were discriminatory in denying a person his or her time in court.
They also feared that Pota would see the return of the repealed ISA, which was by design meant to deal with communist insurgents but mostly used against opposition politicians and others critical of the ruling party.
They argued that the Special Measures Against Terrorism in Foreign Countries Act 2015, the Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) and others, if taken as a whole, were sufficient in countering terrorism. – November 18, 2015.
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