KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Detention Bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament this year, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said his ministry is scrutinising the Bill drafts through workshops and engagements with relevant stakeholders.
"In developing the Bill, several processes should be undertaken before finalisation and tabling in Parliament, including engagement with relevant stakeholders, judicial review by the ministry's legal advisor, the Attorney General’s Chamber, and Cabinet approval," he said.
Saifuddin added in a written parliamentary answer on Tuesday (Feb 18) to Teresa Kok (Pakatan-Seputeh) that the Bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament this year
She asked about the status of the Bill, which is intended as an alternative punishment for certain offences.
Saifuddin said the Cabinet had agreed in principle to the need for a home detention Act last September.
"The Ministry, through the Prisons Department, has always taken prison overcrowding seriously," he said.
"In this regard, the Cabinet on 3 September 2024 agreed in principle to create a new act relating to home detention, giving the Court power to detain or issue a house arrest order as an alternative to imprisonment," he added.
Last year, it was reported that the country's prisons exceeded capacity by 11.24%.
The Prisons Department stated last November that about 82,482 people were in detention, while 4,937 were in the community.
