IPOH: The Home Ministry hopes all quarters including the people and activists will support the proposal to implement the Licensed Release of Prisoners (PBSL) through home detention, as an effort to reduce overcrowding in prisons.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the proposal should not be understood with a negative narrative of supposedly wanting to place certain individuals in house detention instead of being imprisoned behind a wall.
"I would like to refute this 'naughty' narrative played by a few media outlets, who claim that with the implementation of house detention, Najib (former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak) will be put under house detention.
"They are so mischevious. Can't people see the perspective of reducing the congestion in prison? Of course, there will be a panel to evaluate what kind of offences can be put under home detention.
"If you are sentenced to prison for up to 20 years because of a serious crime, it will not be easy to be placed in home detention. That is a threat to society," he said.
Saifuddin said this during a press conference after visiting Rumah Seri Kenangan Ulu Kinta here, today.
He added the overcrowding of prisons could contribute to safety issues and contagious diseases and it is the government's responsibility to minimise this problem.
"I announced this matter two days ago in Sarawak. Home detention means those who were sentenced should be behind walls but they can be in their home under the requirements of the use of (electronic) gadgets.
"We have done three things. First, is the parol system. Second, the compulsory attendance order and third, licensed release. Do these still contribute to the congestion of the prison? Yes. Is it sufficient? No. Is there any other effort? Home detention," he said.
He added that prison inmates involved in the initiative consist of individuals with chronic diseases, the elderly, persons with disabilities (PwD) and expectant mothers.
"There will be a panel to oversee this proposal. They will look at the cases, whether civil or not. What are the threats? This is the government's responsibility"Do we need to have a new act? We will review all of this and also all the existing laws and regulations.
"We need to discuss with our stakeholders to make a new act to achieve our objective. So the people, including activists should support the good intentions of the government to implement this matter," he added.
On Mar 2, the government agreed in principle to implement the PBSL, through home detention, for prisoners serving jail time of four years and below, as an effort to reduce overcrowding in prisons.
Saifuddin said his ministry is currently in the process of examining the implementation method from the point of view of relevant legal provisions, to ensure whether the existing laws and regulations need to be enacted or not.
