KUALA LUMPUR: The Prime Minister’s instruction for outdated laws to be reviewed is timely, given the current crime trends in the era of digital technology, says Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani (pic).
Bukit Aman, said the Inspector-General of Police, welcomed the instruction as it could be more effective in curbing crime.
“One of the laws that needs urgent transformation and amendment is the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953. This law was enacted before the nation’s independence when gambling was carried out conventionally.
“However, nowadays, gambling is conducted online and it’s hard for the police to produce solid evidence and take action against those responsible for the offence,” said the top cop.
“The police fully supports the government’s aspiration in reviewing outdated laws that are seen as no longer relevant.
“Reviewing such laws will improve the legislation to fit the needs of (current) developments and scenarios,” he said.
On Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said that the legal affairs division in the Prime Minister’s Department would be reviewing existing laws, including 147 outdated ones.
Such improvements to the laws, he said, were needed to stay relevant with the current situation, and with technological advancements.
“Digital technology is rapidly evolving. In this context, existing laws could be irrelevant or somewhat backward.
“The Common Gaming Houses Act, for example, only covers the enforcement of gambling activities in physical premises and not online,” he said during University Malaya’s Faculty of Law golden jubilee celebration.
Lauding the Prime Minister’s announcement, former Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mazlan Mansor said such a review was needed to fit current demands and crime trends.
“There are laws introduced in the 1950s or 1960s that are still being used today, but these do not necessarily fit current times.
“For example, a RM100 fine for minor offences would have been a lot in the past but (these days), it is nothing more than a slap on the wrist and the probability of repeat offenders is high,” he said.
Reviewing and amending outdated laws were needed so that the police could effectively enforce the law and for it to act as a deterrent, he said.
“The government should look into thoroughly reviewing outdated laws and for these to be amended accordingly to avoid any overlap should any new legislation be introduced.
“(Newly) introduced laws should provide an overall solution, rather than a one-off stop-gap measure,” he said, adding that legislation should also be “solid” to support the current digital age.
