MUHYIDDIN: SEVERAL LAWS TO BE REVIEWED
Home Ministry to engage NGOs, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia in the task
IT may have only been his first day at work, but newly-minted Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin got right down to business yesterday. After being briefed on the ministry’s duties by secretary-general Datuk Seri Alwi Ibrahim and other senior officers, Muhyiddin announced that several laws would be reviewed, along with the death penalty.
Among them, he said, were the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (POTA), Peaceful Assemblies Act 2012 and the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (POCA).
“We will engage various quarters, including non-governmental organisations and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, to look into these laws (and compare them) with today’s landscape.”
On the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), he said there was a need to maintain the security area.
“We will continue with the surveillance. It is needed.”
He pledged that the delivery of services by the Home Ministry and agencies under it would become more efficient.
He commended the performance of some agencies under the ministry, especially the Immigration Department for its ability to produce passports in a short time.
On efforts to boost national security, Muhyiddin said he would look at empowering groups, including the People’s Volunteer Corps, Village Security and Development Committees and community leaders.
“Police cannot shoulder the responsibility alone.
“The population is bigger than the number of those in enforcement agencies.
“We must find new approaches by looking at countries with good public security management, such as Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.”
He said security-related matters in the Pakatan Harapan manifesto would be prioritised.
This, he said, included the fight against corruption, foreign workers’ issues, citizenship matters and boosting the image of the police force.
He said he would discuss the next course of action in addressing the Rohingya crisis with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Muhyiddin, who is Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president, clocked in at 9am to officially start his duties as home minister, following the swearing-in ceremony at Istana Negara on Monday.
Present at the briefing were heads of agencies under the ministry, including InspectorGeneral of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun and Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali.
We must find new approaches by looking at countries with good public security management, such as Singapore, Japan and
Hong Kong. TAN SRI MUHYIDDIN YASSIN
Home minister