Longer jail term proposed for armed criminals

THOSE caught carrying offensive weapons in public places may face longer jail term following the proposed amendments to the Corrosive and Explosive Substances Offensive Weapons Act.

Among others, the Bill seeks to increase the penalty of imprisonment period from “not more than two years to not less than five years but not more than 10 years of imprisonment”.

Under Clause 3, the Bill aims to amend the penalty provision for carrying, possessing, manufacturing, selling, hiring, lending or giving any scheduled weapon.

The offence currently carries the punishment of imprisonment of not less than two years or a fine not exceeding RM2,000 or both.

If a person is caught for a second or subsequent offence, they will be punished with imprisonment of not less than a year or not more than three years.

Meanwhile, the Home Minister will have the power to appoint lock-ups at police stations and court houses as places to confine persons who are remanded by the authorities under the Prevention of Crime Act, under the proposed changes to the Prison (Amendment) Act.

TheBillwillinvolvetheGovernment in extra financial expenditure but the amount could not be ascertained at the present time.

On the amendments to the Security Offences ( Special Measures) Act, the Government is seeking to amend Section 6 and 30 of the national language text of the same act to be consistent with the English language text.

It states that Clause 4 also seeks to substitute the first schedule of the act with a new first seclude to include two new security offences of the Penal Code and of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act.