Home Minister Dato' Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has firmly stated that police officers cannot randomly stop and inspect individuals' mobile phones without valid grounds. His remarks aim to address growing concerns about potential abuse of power and safeguard the public's civil liberties.
Saifuddin clarified that law enforcement must operate within legal boundaries. He said that it’s not about any Tom, Dick, and Harry being asked to hand over their phone without valid reason. Police must have a clear basis, such as intelligence linking an individual to criminal activities.
Legal Framework and Public Responsibility
Saifuddin urged the public to act if they feel their rights have been violated, encouraging them to lodge police reports if their phones were checked without justification. "With 395,000 police reports filed every month, there’s no barrier preventing anyone from lodging a report," he remarked.
His comments come in response to a controversial statement by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, who claimed that officers with the rank of Inspector or above could check phones under the Criminal Procedure Code and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 if they suspect criminal activity.
Pushback from Rights Groups
Rights groups and agencies have criticized Razarudin's assertion. Lawyers for Liberty described the claim as “legally untenable,” emphasizing that phone checks should only occur during ongoing investigations or official searches.
Similarly, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) deemed Razarudin’s statement troubling, urging the government to clarify the legal scope of such actions.
Balancing Security and Civil Liberties
Saifuddin acknowledged the need to strike a balance between security and human rights. While intelligence might flag individuals as potential security threats, he admitted that current laws limit police authority to inspect devices without solid evidence.
He explained that there is a need for specific legal provisions to address situations involving national security risks while ensuring actions are not taken indiscriminately.
Educating the Public
The home minister revealed plans to involve Suhakam in discussions with the police to promote a better understanding of legal boundaries and educate the public on their rights.
With this reaffirmation of citizens' rights, Saifuddin’s remarks underline the importance of holding authorities accountable, ensuring that security measures do not erode civil liberties.
By: Kpost
Information Source: Fmt
Kpost is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.
