EO: Where is the Bill, Zahid?

Home Minister Dato Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should respond to the claim by the Attorney-General, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail in Malaysiakini today that there has been "no draft or anything" sent to his office on a law to replace the Emergency Ordinance.

On 5 July 2013, Zahid is reported to have said that the government planned to table a bill in Parliament soon to replace the Emergency Ordinance. He also said that the first draft of the bill had been sent to the Attorney General's Chambers and it was awaiting further instructions. In the NST of that date, Zahid is quoted as saying "We are still discussing with the Chambers on the law and what we want to include in the legislation".

The debate over a new law has taken centre stage for months now and Zahid has used this proposed new law as a platform to call for "new ideas and suggestions from everyone including opposition leaders and non governmental organizations to ensure the new laws are effective".

On 5 July, 2013 the DAP called upon Zahid to show us the first draft on such a law to assure us that the new law does not provide for detention without trial before asking us to participate in discussions concerning it. Zahid failed to respond.

And now, the Attorney-General says his office has received no such thing?

So which is which? Zahid must respond. This is a very serious matter as it involves a matter of national importance. In fact, the credibility of the Home Ministry is now at stake.

Both of them cannot be right. So which is which?

Gobind Singh Deo MP for Puchong