PCA and Preventive Detention: Zahid should take lessons from AG before making foolish remarks

Home Minister Dato Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should take lessons from the Attorney General before making foolish remarks about preventive detention and the proposed amendments to the PCA.

He is today quoted as saying that there is no detention without trial under the proposed amendments to the PCA. With respect, this reflects the shallow mentality of the man who helms the Home Ministry in this country.

Zahid's argument that the detainee has a right to trial as the decision of the board to direct registered persons to be detained under a detention order could be subject to review by the High Court is laughable.

There is a huge difference between a right to trial and a right to judicial review what more, on just procedural grounds as suggested in the proposed amendments. Surely he should know this. It is most basic.

I would like to ask Zahid what trial is he talking about? A trial means a hearing which relates to the merits or reasons for detention. Will detainees have that, an opportunity to defend themselves, against the allegations leveled against them in court under the proposed amendments to the PCA?

The proposed amendments only allow the court to review the detentions from a viewpoint of whether or not the procedure in making the order has been complied with. The courts are prohibited from looking at the merits of the detention.

This is exactly the same with the provisions in the ISA and the Emergency Ordinance which were criticised for allowing detentions without trial which even the Attorney General has said is an abuse of human rights which need to be safeguarded, and an affront to the provisions of our Federal Constitution.

The Attorney General should give Zahid a lesson or two on the subject before he becomes an embarrassment to us internationally. He seems to be making a fool of himself in saying things like these. His statements also take things to a new level of intellect so low that ordinary debate becomes difficult because even the most simple and basic of things, are not understood.

I urge Zahid not to be a coward. He should have some guts and accept that the PCA amendments revert back to preventive detention which is detention without trial and deal with the issue head on.

Gobind Singh Deo MP for Puchong