APSN | Repeal all preventive laws, Proham tells Putrajaya

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Repeal all preventive laws, Proham tells Putrajaya

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Kuala Lumpur – The Association for the Promotion of Human Rights (Proham) wants the Najib administration to repeal all current laws that allow for detention without trial to prove its commitment to defending human rights.

The civil society also called on Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Ismail Omar to stop resorting to preventive laws to hold suspects and to charge such persons openly in court in line with the country's aim to be a developed nation by 2020.

It noted that both the Federal Constitution and international treaty, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which Malaysia has signed, clearly provide for the protection of fundamental liberties and cited as an example the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 (Epopco) as among the preventive laws that curtailed those rights.

"Proham reiterates its earlier stand that Epopco has to be withdrawn as it is a preventive detention law similar to the Internal Security Act, which enables the police to detain the arrested people for 60 days and subsequently through the minister's order, a further detention for two years," said Proham chief, Tan Sri Simon Sipaun, in a media statement.

He reminded the authorities that the Royal Police Commission in 2005 had recommended "that Epopco be repealed because it has outlived its purpose and in some instances, has facilitated the abuse of some fundamental liberties."

"This recommendation is also consistent with that of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) which also affirmed that the use of this law or any preventive legislation is clearly a violation of human rights," Sipaun added.

Proham again called on Putrajaya to free or charge in court Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar (picture) and his five colleagues in Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) who have been behind bars since July 2, 2011 under Epopco.