DAP veteran Lim Guan Eng has renewed calls for sweeping reforms to the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) following the nine-day detention of a 16-year-old girl in Kedah, describing the incident as a serious failure of legal safeguards and a potential source of lasting trauma.
The teenager was held from January 14 to January 23, 2026, before being released, according to her mother. The case gained public attention after the mother sought help over her daughter’s continued detention following an arrest at a roadblock near the Jitra toll plaza. Police had stopped the vehicle the girl was travelling in, alleging it was linked to migrant smuggling, and subsequently detained all occupants, including the minor and her father.
During the period in custody, the girl reportedly suffered repeated vomiting, developed skin allergies and experienced severe emotional distress. Her mother said police eventually allowed visits to help calm her, but the teenager also endured panic attacks and insomnia. It was further alleged that she had been placed in a lockup with adult female detainees, compounding her anxiety.
Lim said the decision to detain a minor under Sosma for nearly a week highlighted deep flaws in the law’s application. He argued that the experience would have been deeply distressing not only for the teenager but also for her family, and questioned why existing legal protections were ignored.
Under Section 13 of Sosma, suspects charged with security-related offences are generally denied bail and subjected to mandatory detention. However, Lim noted that the same provision allows for exceptions involving minors, women and individuals who are ill or infirm. He said the failure to apply these exemptions in this case raised serious concerns about due process and the authorities’ adherence to the rule of law.
Lim urged the government to either repeal Sosma entirely or carry out a comprehensive overhaul to align it with constitutional protections and human rights standards. He warned that without urgent reform, similar cases could recur, leading to further abuses of power.
The detention was confirmed by Kedah police chief Adzli Abu Shah, while Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the ministry would review the matter. Civil society groups also weighed in, with Suara Rakyat Malaysia stating that the teenager should have been handled under the Child Act 2017 rather than security legislation.
Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam president Jacob George, who was contacted by the girl’s mother, described the case as deeply troubling and stressed that Sosma requires heightened scrutiny when minors are involved. He called on the Home Ministry to ensure that children under investigation are placed in appropriate care facilities rather than police lockups.
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