Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government will not push to reintroduce preventive detention laws.

Ahmad Zahid was reported in The Star as saying that the ministry would stand with attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail.

“I am with the AG’s Chambers. We have no dispute with him. We are not pushing for a law that provides detention without trial but we want the penalties to be as heavy (as provided for under the Emergency Ordinance).

“Detention will only be for investigations - before the trial takes place,” Zahid was quoted as saying by the daily.

However, inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said that while the police respect the AG’s views, the force still needs some kind of preventive law, not preventive detention.

“The preventive law is to strike fear in violent criminals and organised crime,” said Khalid, adding that the main issue was that a lot of witnesses are afraid to testify in court against these criminals.  

Previously, the IGP was quoted as saying that the police are in favour of a law to replace the Emergency Ordinance (EO) which was repealed last year. Ahmad Zahid was also quoted to have said that he would show statistics of rising crime to prove why a law similar to EO was needed.