The revelation that police are using the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (Amended 1983) - which allows suspects to be remanded for 71 days to facilitate investigations - is a “slap” to Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s campaign to revive the Emergency Ordinance (EO), said PAS.

NONE PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man ( left ) said that this, alongside Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s seeming reluctance to bring back preventive laws , further “demolishes public trust” in the home minister and his ministry.

“Firstly, Inspector-General of Police (IGP, Khalid Abu Bakar) proved that Zahid was mistaken all this while for championing the EO as the solution to crime.

"(Khalid) also made the rakyat aware that, as it turns out, there is another Act equal to the Internal Security Act (ISA) and EO that allows for (remand) for up to 72 [sic] days, (which is) two-and-a-half months, with order from the court.

“Secondly, PM Najib proved that Zahid’s call to bring back the EO was not agreeable to the cabinet,” Tuan Ibrahim said in a statement today.

“Is it because the power to wield the EO is in the minister’s hands, while other laws would require a court order? Or is this a hidden intention to defend the Umno vice-president's post in the coming party election?”

While Khalid had said yesterday that suspects can be detained for a maximum 72 days, the Act itself only stipulates 71 days.

Lawyers, however, say that by convention the first 24 hours are included in the 14 day remand period, and as such the maximum remand period is 70 days.

NONE Referring to the IGP’s announcement yesterday that police have nabbed 200 suspects nationwide under the Act, Tuan Ibrahim expressed the hope that police will carry out crime-fighting all the time and the Act will not be abused against the innocent for “evil political purposes”.

Khalid ( right ) said the Prevention of Crime Act stipulates that police must first obtain a 14-day remand order for an arrested suspect from a magistrate.

Should police need to extend their probe, the deputy public prosecutor must write to the magistrate and can be granted another 28 days.

Another 28 days can be requested if the magistrate is satisfied there is “unreasonable delay” in the inquiry.

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