PUTRAJAYA: The government rejects claims that the House Arrest Bill (RUU) was enacted to free former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil explained that the Bill is part of the shift from punitive to restorative justice, reported Sinar Harian.
"Returning an individual who has been found guilty to the community is one of the government's goals," he said during a press conference after the Cabinet meeting here on Friday (Oct 25).
He said a pilot project was held last year, in which 5,000 prisoners, mostly minor criminal offenders, underwent a rehabilitation process in the community with several conditions set.
"Based on a study after the pilot project was implemented, it showed that the recidivism rate (again committing crimes) had dropped to 15%," said Fahmi.
According to him, the Home Affairs Ministry(KDN) informed that the Prison Department had saved RM19mil through the effort.
"So the study results show that this project can be expanded because there are 82,000 prisoners in the prison, exceeding the capacity of 74,000," he said.
Previously, Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was reported to have said that the bill is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament in 2025.
The bill is being drafted by the Attorney General's Office (AGC) and the Director General of the Prisons Department (Datuk Seri Nordin Muhamad) as stakeholders.
On Thursday (Oct 24), RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong), while debating the Supply Bill 2025, urged the government to be more thorough in enacting the bill.
This is because it is feared that it could cause polemic among the people after there were rumours that it was made for certain prisoners.
