Lawmakers have compelled the police and the Home Ministry to explain why electronic monitoring devices (EMD) can seemingly be removed by people fitted with them, thus posing a security threat to the public at large.

It was reported in Guang Ming Daily yesterday that a convicted criminal with 17 previous criminal records had on July 31 “cut” the EMD fitted on him and went on to commit 10 crimes before the police were able to arrest him.

“What is the purpose of fitting EMDs if police don’t know when they are removed or damaged?

“Police should know within minutes when they are removed, and arrest the suspects,” Kampung Tunku assemblyperson Lau Weng San said at a press conference at the DAP Segambut service centre today...