THE Home Detention Bill is expected to be tabled this year, says the Home Minister.
Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (pic) said his ministry is currently scrutinising drafts of the Bill through a series of workshops and engagements with relevant stakeholders.
“In developing the Bill, several processes should be taken before it could be finalised and tabled in the Parliament, including engagements with the relevant stakeholders comprising the Special Select Committee, judicial review by the ministry’s legal adviser, the Attorney General’s Chamber and approval by the Cabinet.
“The Bill is expected to be tabled in the Parliament this year,” he said in a written parliamentary reply.
He was responding to a question by Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh) who had asked the minister to reveal the status of the Bill, which would serve as an alternative punishment for certain offences.
Saifuddin Nasution said the Cabinet had agreed in principle as to the need of having a home detention Act last September.
“The ministry through the Prisons Department has always taken the issue of prison overcrowding seriously,” he said, adding that the Cabinet had on Sept 3 last year agreed in principle to create the new law to allow home detention.
Last year, it was reported that the prisons in the country had reached overcapacity by 11.24%.
The Prisons Department stated last November that about 82,482 people were in detention while 4,937 were in the community.
On another matter, Saifuddin Nasution said Indonesians made up the majority of the 2,581 deported undocumented migrants as of Jan 21.
He said Indonesians comprised 41.8% or 1,080 people, followed by Myanmar nationals (399) and Bangladeshis (301).
He added that 78% of the total were male with 2,022 people.
“The Home Ministry and the Immigration Department continuously work to curb undocumented migrants in the country.
“For this, collaboration and negotiation efforts have been taken with foreign representatives to expedite the documentation process, including for those without identification documents,” he said in a written parliamentary reply.
Saifuddin Nasution was responding to a question by Zahari Kechik (PN-Jeli) who had asked the minister to state the total number of undocumented migrants being deported and the efforts taken to address “stateless” individuals.
Saifuddin Nasution said that if the citizenship of the individuals could not be determined by the foreign embassies, they would be categorised as stateless.
“To ensure the foreigners fall under the refugee category, they would need to undergo an evaluation and status determination processes as set by the government,” he said.
“If they are determined to be refugees, they would be subject to resettlement to a third country.”
