Najib Not Eligible For Home Detention Proposal Says Saifuddin

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Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has assured that the incarcerated former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak is not on the list of prisoners who will be serving time via home arrest.
The minister told Malaysiakini that only prisoners who are serving less than four years of jail time, senior citizens, pregnant women and people with disabilities will be on the home detention list.
"Najib is not included in that list," he said.
Earlier today, Harian Metro reported that Putrajaya's newly proposed home arrest for prisoners was intended to reduce overcrowding in jails, not to be abused by convicted leaders.
Saifuddin reportedly dismissed the claim that the home detention policy was meant to allow Najib to serve his remaining prison term in the comfort of his home as ill-intentioned.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail"I want to refute the ‘mischievous’ narrative played by certain media claiming that the implementation of house arrest is intended to place Najib under house arrest. It's so mischievous to the point that they can't see the perspective of reducing prison congestion.
"While its implementation is specifically targeted for certain categories of inmates, there will be a panel to make an assessment, and the proposed type of offences are only those sentenced to less than four years imprisonment.
"If someone is sentenced to imprisonment for up to 20 years for serious crimes, they won't easily be granted 'home detention'," he was quoted as saying during a press conference in Rumah Seri Kenangan Ulu Kinta in Ipoh today.
The minister assured that the scheme would not pose a threat to society because there would be a panel and a process in place to access each prisoner’s case.
Call for white paper
Earlier today, the NGO Project Stability and Accountability for Malaysia (Projek Sama) had asked Putrajaya whether the home detention could be a "get-out-of-jail card" for powerful convicts like Najib.
Ex-PM Najib Abdul RazakThe institutional reform watchdog further demanded for a white paper to be tabled before any implementation by the government to avoid double standards.
Previously, Bernama reported that the government agreed in principle to implement the licensed release of prisoners, through home detention, for prisoners serving jail time of four years and below, as an effort to reduce overcrowding in prisons.
Saifuddin said his ministry is in the process of examining the implementation method from the point of view of relevant legal provisions, and whether the existing laws and regulations need to be amended. - Mkini

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