Reports by MARTIN CARVALHO, HEMANANTHANI SIVANANDAM, LOSHANA K. SHAGAR and TARENCE TAN
A TOTAL of 142 children were detained under the Prevention of Crime Act (POCA) 1959, the Home Ministry said in a statement.
However, the ministry did not provide a specific timeline as to when these statistics were compiled.
The ministry also revealed that 17 children have been arrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) since the Act was enacted in 2012.
“At the same time, no children were arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) 2015,” it said in a written reply.
The ministry was responding to Charles Santiago (DAP-Klang), who had asked why Ang Kian Kok, 16, was detained under POCA.
The ministry said it could not reveal the reason behind Ang’s arrest due to ongoing investigations.
The juvenile was arrested along with S. Balamurugan and K. Tamilarasan by police earlier this year.
