20,000 offenders qualify for consideration under House Arrest Bill  Saifuddin

KLANG, Oct 21 – About 20,000 offenders of certain categories will likely qualify for consideration under the new house arrest bill, after undergoing a complete vetting process, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.

The bill will consider first offenders who did not commit major crimes, pregnant women, senior citizens and people with disabilities, he added.

“Like I said, the (estimated) number that will qualify for consideration is 20,000 offenders, who are first offenders. 

“It also applies to offenders of minor crimes, for instance a single mother who is poverty stricken and resorts to stealing milk for her child and is sentenced to jail,” he said after officiating the Kota Raja PKR branch annual general meeting on Sunday.

He stressed that there was no need to dredge up polemics about who qualifies for consideration as offenders will have to pass through several layers of vetting, including having a good discipline record while in prison.

Saifuddin was reported to have said on Saturday that the new house arrest bill will be tabled in Parliament next year and that the Cabinet has approved the implementation of the bill in principle.