Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin held a briefing with MPs early Wednesday (July 20) morning to trash out any misgivings they may have with regards to the Bill.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat has passed a motion to revoke its earlier decision in March not to extend the detention period of suspects under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).
The motion was put to a bloc vote, and 105 MPs voted in support of the Bill while 83 MPs voted against and 32 were absent.
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"Therefore, the bill is passed (in the House)," said Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun, who was chairing the Parliamentary proceedings.
The tabling of the Parliamentary motion on Sosma is slated as item number two in the Parliament's Order Paper, taking place right after the Anti-Sexual Harassment bill was tabled for second reading on Wednesday (July 20).
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It is learned that Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin held a briefing with MPs early Wednesday (July 20) morning to trash out any misgivings they may have with regards to the Bill.
This will pave the way for the home ministry to retable a motion to extend Sosma, which is set to expire this July 31.
Before debates began, the Speaker explained to MPs that the earlier decision by the House had to be revoked if a similar motion is to be retabled.
Hamzah, who spoke earlier, stressed the importance of passing the Bill, as the present Sosma Act 2012 is set to expire on July 31.
"If there isn't an extension, the ministry is concerned that efforts to curb organised crime and terorrism may be hampered, especially on cases that are being probed this month," added Hamzah.
ALSO READ: Dewan Rakyat votes against five-year extension of 28-day detention under Sosma
Speaking after the bloc voting, Hamzah also said the Bill will be retabled in Parliament next week.
Earlier before debates, Azhar explained to MPs why this particular process of revoking the previous motion in March needed to be done.
Azhar said that a Bill, once rejected by the House, cannot be retabled unless a one-year cooling off period had passed.
During the previous Dewan Rakyat session on March 23, the motion to extend the enforcement of subsection 4(5) of Sosma which allows for the detention of suspects for up to 28 days without trial, was voted down by MPs.
The five-year limit for the provision ends on July 31, 2022.
On March 23, a motion by Hamzah to extend the subsection in Sosma for another five years beginning July 31 this year was defeated after it was put to a bloc vote following a heated debate.
The bloc voting saw 84 MPs voting for and 86 against, while 50 MPs were absent.
