KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 — The proposed House Arrest Act is aimed at addressing prison overcrowding, particularly involving remand detainees, who make up a significant proportion of the prison population while awaiting trial.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stressed that the proposal was not new, saying he had mooted it as one of the Home Ministry’s (KDN) measures since 2024 to reduce prison overcrowding and ensure the country’s correctional system is managed more effectively.

“The concept we have been discussing from the outset is clear, namely that for remand detainees who meet the requirements, the court may consider placing them under house arrest with electronic monitoring until their trial.

“Serious criminal cases have already been identified for exclusion from this mechanism.

“We do not yet have an act or law on house arrest. Previously, I mooted introducing one specifically for remand detainees, as remand detainees are one of the causes of prison overcrowding,” he said in a video uploaded on his Facebook page today.

Saifuddin Nasution said prison inmates comprised those who had been convicted and were serving their sentences, as well as remand detainees whose court proceedings had yet to be completed.

He said remand detainees referred to individuals who had been charged but were either denied bail or unable to post bail, resulting in them being held in prison pending trial.

“So, this combination of convicted inmates and remand detainees contributes to prison overcrowding. For example, we currently have 41 prisons, but the prison population is 93,000. Our prison capacity is 75,000,” he said.

He said if the proposed law was passed, the court could consider placing eligible remand detainees under house arrest, with their movements monitored using electronic devices until their trial date.

Saifuddin Nasution said the Cabinet had also given in-principle approval for KDN to begin the process of drafting and tabling the House Arrest Act in Parliament.

“The original objective remains the same, namely to reduce prison overcrowding and ensure that the country’s correctional system can be managed more effectively. That is the original context and purpose of the House Arrest Act that we have been discussing from the outset.

“If the Bill is passed, we can release these remand detainees to their homes and equip them with modern devices to monitor their movements until their trial date. That is the original purpose we have been discussing,” he said. — Bernama