KUALA LUMPUR: Just one young offender is still being detained under the Criminal Prevention Act 1959 (POCA) for armed robbery.
Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, said the person is currently at a detention centre for two years, away from adult detainees in the Kluang Special Rehabilitation Centre in Johor.
She was responding to a news report yesterday where Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) urged the government to release 142 young offenders still being detained under POCA because it is harmful to children.
She said to reporters today: “I felt shocked at the revelation, so I immediately called the minister and also the ministry in charge … the police told us that actually only one is left under POCA as at Jan 30.”
Dr Wan Azizah, who is also the Women, Family and Community Development minister, was at the Taman Muda market and Pandan Perdana morning market distributing mandarin oranges.
Asked if it is just for juveniles detained under POCA to be released, she said it was something that has to be looked into by the police and appropriate ministries.
According to statistics by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 27 young offenders are currently under observation for two years by the police for being involved in criminal organisations, robbery, motorcycle theft and so on.
Regarding the electronic monitoring device (EMD) being worn by young offenders, she said only those ascertained to have committed a grave crime by the Violence and Crime Prevention Board are using it.
While Dr Wan Azizah did not disclose how many are being monitored this way, she said discussions will be held with the Home Affairs Ministry on juvenile detention.
“Although the young offender is not being kept in custody alongside adults, we should have a relook to ensure that it doesn’t happen at all.
“We have to look into it because no child should be exposed to this sort of environment … I think for those under 18, we should review the matter deeply,” she said.
At the same time, Dr Wan Azizah was asked on the coalition’s progress in picking a candidate for the Semenyih by-election on March 2, and she replied: “Not yet … we’ve just talked about it in a general way”. – Bernama
