KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — The government will not push to reintroduce preventive detention to deal with the recent rise in organised crime, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was reported as saying today.

The Star Online said the home minister (picture) added his views were in line with those of Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail.

The news portal quoted him as saying, “I am with the A-G Chambers... We are not pushing for a law that provides detention without trial but we want the penalties to be as heavy (as provided for under the Emergency Ordinance).

“Detention will only be for investigations — before the trial takes place.”

Yesterday, The Malay Mail Online reported Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar as saying that the police need a form of “preventive laws” that could offer protection for witnesses against criminals.

The national police chief pointed out that such preventive laws would give the police the power to record statements from witnesses without subjecting them to testifying openly in court.

“Now, witnesses daren’t come forward to help our probes because they fear retaliation from gang members and so on.

“And when these witnesses do not help us, how do we bring these cases to court?” he told a press conference yesterday afternoon.

“This is the reason why we need a preventive law similar to the Emergency Ordinance (EO) that was repealed... or similar to any kind of law that gives us the power to record witness statements without putting them in court,” he added.