Rayer: Free Sosma detainees, halt enforcement until engagement held

A DAP lawmaker has called for a suspension of enforcement action under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) 2012 until an engagement session between the government and stakeholders on the law is held.

In a statement today, Jelutong MP RSN Rayer also demanded that those detained under Sosma be released for the time being.

“I hope that while waiting for this engagement session to be held, all detentions under Sosma need to be stopped immediately and everyone detained under the law should be released immediately,” he said.

Rayer welcomed the government’s move to commence the engagement session with all stakeholders on Sosma. 

“I hope that the lawyers involved in handling Sosma cases will be invited to join the engagement session,” he said.

‘Review Sosma provisions’

Rayer then urged the government to review two provisions under Sosma. 

This included Section 13, which prohibits bail to individuals charged under the law, except for persons below 18, women, and the sick or infirm. 

“I am of the view that Section 13 needs to be reviewed because it is common knowledge that most trials in Sosma cases will take a long time to complete.

“Section 4(5), which allows a person to be detained for 28 days without the need to bring the person to a magistrate as required under section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), is yet another provision that needs to be reviewed,” he said.

It was reported in October that over 200 individuals are currently under Sosma detention, 82 of which were foreigners.

On Dec 23, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Ramkarpal Singh said the government agreed to look into certain provisions in Sosma and would engage with the relevant stakeholders.

Relevant stakeholders, including officials from the Home Ministry and the police, would be invited to the engagement process as soon as possible, said Ramkarpal.

Sosma had replaced the Internal Security Act, which was repealed during the time of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Meanwhile, six activists who joined a gathering outside Parliament last week to hand a memorandum to the government on Sosma amendments are due to be questioned by police.

A notice to the media said that they would be questioned at the Dang Wangi police district headquarters tomorrow afternoon.

The memorandum - which was received by an aide to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail - called for Sosma detainees to be allowed to post bail and for the legislation to be reviewed.

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