MELAKA: Amanah president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu has called for a fair and transparent house-arrest mechanism that could benefit eligible prisoners regardless of their financial background or social standing.
He said any future framework should uphold equality before the law, ensuring that opportunities for alternative sentencing were not confined to certain groups.
READ MORE: Najib cannot leave house arrest residence without approval
“I want to stress that there must not be two classes of treatment for prisoners, now or in the future,” he told reporters after the Jelajah Harapan Melaka Rumah Kita grand finale in Hang Tuah Jaya on Thursday night.
Mohamad, who is also Agriculture and Food Security Minister, said the proposed mechanism should be considered in the broader context of prison management, particularly overcrowding.
He argued that a properly regulated arrangement could offer an alternative for prisoners while ensuring that the same eligibility criteria were applied consistently.
“Prisons are becoming increasingly overcrowded.
“If it can apply to one person, we hope it can apply to everyone. That is my hope,” he said.
His remarks followed a proposal he made in Merlimau on Wednesday for legislation allowing eligible prisoners to serve half their sentences in prison and the remaining half under house arrest.
Mohamad said the proposed arrangement should be governed by clear and transparent regulations, without discrimination based on wealth, political influence or family connections.
The proposal comes amid developments surrounding former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who was granted a conditional royal pardon by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sept 18, allowing him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence in the SRC International case under house arrest upon payment of a RM50 million fine.
The High Court subsequently ordered the implementation of the conditional pardon on Tuesday.
Najib’s arrangement was granted through the royal prerogative of pardon under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution, while Mohamad’s proposal concerns the introduction of a general legal mechanism for other prisoners.
In his earlier statement, Mohamad stressed that the proposed reforms were not motivated by personal differences with Najib or his family, but by the need to uphold constitutional principles and the rule of law.
He also pledged to contribute his entire monthly ministerial salary of RM11,900 until Parliament is dissolved to support non-governmental organisations campaigning for the proposed framework.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said on Thursday that Mohamad should discuss the proposal with Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
She said house arrest as an alternative sentencing mechanism had previously been discussed in Cabinet and was being examined by the Home Ministry.
