PETALING JAYA: Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) urges the authorities to follow proper procedural safeguards in investigations involving minors, including access to legal counsel and meeting families for longer periods of time.
This comes after two children were allegedly detained for 20 days under Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).
The lawyers present questioned why the children were not charged first under the Child Act but under Sosma, during a press conference in front of Bukit Aman on Friday (March 6).
According to Suaram, two 17-year-old children were arrested in Alor Setar and Langkawi and later brought to Kuala Lumpur to be detained.
Suaram director and lawyer Shashi Devan, who is acting for the detainee from Alor Setar, said they had already been detained for 20 years.
“I could only meet my client for 15 minutes today. According to my client, there will probably be a hearing in a Alor Setar Magistrate's Court on March 8 but there have been no clear updates from the investigating officer.
“A substantial part of the investigation appears to have been done. At this juncture, we do not know whether the authorities intend to keep them for the entire duration of detention or if they plan to bring any charges.
"Sosma procedures should not be used against children,” he said, adding that both families were devastated.
Meanwhile, Suaram director Faridah Mohamad, who is acting for the detainee from Langkawi, said she could meet her client but the family couldn't.
“If the prosecution decides to bring charges, there is a possibility that my client may be taken to Langkawi or Alor Setar to be charged,” she said.
“In that situation, the family would not have any opportunity to meet the child. That is unfair. They are children and should be allowed to meet their families.
“They have been denied their constitutionally protected rights as well as protections under the Child Act," she said.
She added that there was no information on whether the Welfare Department had met her client.
Both children also intend to complete their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) this year, the lawyers said.
