KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 ― The enforcement of the recently amended Prevention of Crime Act (POCA) 1959 saw the country’s crime rate dip by nearly 16 per cent, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
In a written reply to Lenggong MP Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, Ahmad Zahid said that a drop was observed in serious and organised crimes following the enforcement of the law, which allows for detention without trial.
“After 18 months of its enforcement, we saw a drop in the trend of heavy and organised crimes.
“This was proven via a research on serious crimes carried out by the police for the first 18 months before the law was enforced and after, and there was a reduction of 15.5 per cent,” he said.
On the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) 2015 which was enforced on September 1 this year, Ahmad Zahid said that no one has been detained under the law just yet.
Shamsul Anuar was asking Ahmad Zahid to state the effects of the enforcement of POCA and POTA and if the ministry would further amend the law to preserve harmony and security in Malaysia.
The POCA 2013 Bill, was passed on October 3 two years ago despite protests from opposition lawmakers who accused the government of back-peddling on its promise for political reform by reinstating arbitrary detention powers.
The amended POCA effectively reintroduces detention without trial into the country’s statute books, a key element the Najib administration had done away with when the Internal Security Act and Emergency Ordinance were repealed.
