The soon-to-be-enforced Prevention of Crime Act (Amendment and Extension) 2013 is meant to protect the people and not to oppress anyone, according to Home deputy minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.

He gave the assurance that the Act was specifically aimed at fighting organised crimes and grave crimes, and that individuals would not face arrest merely because their views and political ideology differed from those of the goverment.

“This Act is not intended whether written or implied, to detain those who hold political posts; on the other hand it is to detain criminals... for serious offences such as murder, robbery, drugs, human trafficking, gangsterism and other dangerous crimes,” he told a media conference after a briefing on the Act at a leading hotel in Kuching yesterday.

Wan Junaidi said the government seriously cared about the people’s security, hence the law to prevent and curb crime which was on the rise in the country.

“It (crime) has aroused fear among the people and if the government fail to act, many would fall victim and the level of fear would heighten.

“The government wants to establish a situation in which Malaysians would feel more secure in their own country,” he said.

Wan Junaidi said the Act would be gazetted and enforced once members of the Crime Prevention Board have been appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the prime minister.

According to him, the board members would comprise five independent legal practitioners who would serve two terms (four years).

He also said the Act would be expanded to Sarawak and Sabah, allowing for detention without trial in the interest of security and public order, particularly in light of serious crimes being rampantly committed following the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA) and Emergency Ordinance (EO).

He further explained that the Act would empower the board to issue an order for a criminal to be detained for two years.

On claims that offenders would not have access to trial in court, he said the Act would only be applied if witnesses refuse to testify and give evidence in court.

“The decision to detain would be made by the judge; if the police detain anyone, they would have to convince the judge of the necessity to detain the individual concerned,” he said.

- Bernama