The Royal Malaysian Police, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and the Bar Council are part of the special committee set up by the Home Ministry to review existing security laws which are said to infringe upon human rights.

In a written reply to RSN Rayer (Harapan-Jelutong), the Home Ministry stated that the committee is tasked with reviewing laws such as the controversial Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (Pota) and the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (Poca).

"The Home Ministry is reviewing the laws concerning national security such as Sosma, Poca and Pota, to see if the use of these Acts aligns with the norms of human rights.

"In this matter, the Home Ministry has formed a special committee comprising representatives from the Attorney-General's Chambers, Royal Malaysian Police, Bar Council, Suhakam, law practitioners, academics and the Courts to comprehensively evaluate the Acts," the reply stated.

The Ministry would then decide on abolishing or amending the laws once the full review is complete.

Rayer had questioned if the Ministry will abolish "cruel" Acts such as the Sedition Act 1948, Sosma, Poca as well as the Anti-Fake News Act 2018.

Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has previously announced the forming of the committee in June, to be chaired by the ministry’s secretary-general Alwi Ibrahim.

"Our goal is to determine in implementing domestic laws the people do not feel that they are being used for political purposes, to punish certain parties due to differences in ideology and so on," he had said at the time.

Muhyiddin, however, did not reveal the members of the committee then.