DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng has lent his voice to a clarion call among some lawyers that the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) needs to be either amended or abolished to prevent its abuse and to uphold human dignity.
Lim said that SOSMA must either be abolished or completely overhauled and amended to ensure compliance with the rule of law, due process and constitutional safeguards of human rights.
He made these remarks after an alleged arrest of a 16-year-old teenager under the confinement legislation last week.
"Something is very wrong when a 16-year-old girl can be detained under SOSMA for 9 days from January 14 to 23. This experience must be traumatic for her and her mother. The teen suffered vomiting and developed skin allergies during her detention in Kedah," said Lim in a post.
Section 13 of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) generally prohibits bail for individuals charged with security offences, requiring mandatory detention.
Exceptions apply only to persons under 18, women, or those who are sick or infirm.
Serious questions remain as to why the exception provided under Section 13 was not applied when the 16-year-old is not only a minor below 18 but also a girl.
"This unfortunate incident is unacceptable," said the Began MP.
The former Finance Minister and Penang Chief Minister's call was echoed by senior lawyer S. Raveentharan, who said that Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has some serious reforms to undertake to ensure the rule of law is compatible with the needs of the country, while protecting the citizenry.
"We cannot allow overreaction to dominate how we enforce the law. We must also be holistic and ensure that justice is served at all times," said the former lawmaker.
News reports indicated that the teenager was released recently; she was detained under a SOSMA charge earlier in the month.
The case drew public attention after her mother’s plea to release her daughter following her arrest at a roadblock near the Jitra toll plaza in Kedah.
The woman said police flagged down the vehicle in which the teenager was travelling, alleging it was being used to smuggle migrants.
Her daughter, along with her father and others in the car, was taken into custody.
Rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia called for the girl’s immediate release, saying she should have been dealt with under the Child Act 2017.
The mother said her daughter was so distressed that police allowed her to visit to calm her down.
Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam president Jacob George, whom the woman turned to for help after learning of the arrest, described the incident as “deeply troubling”.
He said that SOSMA, a law designed for security offences, requires strict due diligence, especially when minors are involved.
He, however, praised police officers in Jitra for accommodating the mother’s request to visit her daughter daily and allowing her to buy food. - January 26, 2026.
