SHAH ALAM: All aspects must be considered carefully by the government before names are wiped from the registry of criminals and undesirable persons, say stakeholders.
Discharged Prisoners Aid Society president Benny Bastian said proper vetting must also be carried out before removing names, even if the persons concerned have not been charged or have been acquitted.
“There is apprehension that they may have escaped from being charged or found not guilty due to technicalities,” he said.
He added that the government should not use a “broad brush approach” to wipe their slate clean.
Bastian also said he wondered how the authorities were going to determine the names that would be removed given the registry goes many years back.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced on Tuesday that there were plans to amend the Registration of Criminals and Undesirable Persons Act to wipe the slate clean for some people whose names are in the registry.
This includes those who do not have criminal records despite being listed in the registry, people on the wanted list, those investigated by the police, individuals brought in to help with investigations, and people given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal by the courts.
Apparently, names of ex-convicts remain in the registry until they reach 70 years old.
Meanwhile, an ex-convict who has been imprisoned twice said it would not make a difference for him if his name is removed from the registry.
“I am already 60 and I help my wife run a business. Since I have never tried to seek employment or take a hire purchase loan, it makes no difference to me,” he said.
The man was first sentenced to six months’ imprisonment in 1985 and then to a three-year jail term in 1995.
He was jailed both times for extortion.
“But I am sure there are some people who would want to live with a clean slate in the twilight years of their lives.
“Maybe the government could seriously consider removing their names from the registry,” he said.
He said former prisoners who were victims of circumstances should also be considered once they hit 60 and officially become senior citizens.
