KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 722 people have been detained under the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance (EO) 1969 in the first eight months of this year.
The bulk of them are from Selangor (275), Johor (86), Kedah (58), Sarawak (56) and Kuala Lumpur (50). The smallest number is from Sabah which recorded only two detention orders (see chart).
These figures are from statistics released by the Bukit Aman's vice, gambling and secret societies D7 unit which oversees EO cases.
Detainees under Section 4(1) are held in one of the three EO detention centres in the country Simpang Renggam, Machang and Muar.
Besides detention, police also use Section 4A(1) of the EO which provides for banishment of suspects to other states/districts and restricts their residence for two years and imposes other conditions like reporting to the police on a daily basis.
From Jan 1 to Aug 22, police sent 86 people off to other places on restricted residence.
Senior Asst Comm Abd Jalil Hassan, who is the principal assistant director of Bukit Aman's D7 unit, said police were forced to use the EO in cases where they were certain the suspect had committed the crime but there was insufficient evidence for a conviction in court.
He said it was done to safeguard public interest and security.
“It is not easy to use the EO. There are many layers and checks before a detention order is signed,” he said, adding that the number of people held under the EO was negligible as compared to the overall crime rate.
Most of those detained under the EO are males, with only about 10 female EO detainees.
Last year, the total number of criminal cases was 177,520 and cases of street crime was 24,837 but total detention orders were 768 and restriction orders, 385.
2012 Bar Council Subscription Click the link above to download Circular 072/2012 pertaining to the 2012 Bar Council subscription, including the payment guide and a set of Frequently-Asked-Questions.
2012 Hotel Corporate Rates Attending seminars? Going for a holiday? Click on the link above to check out the list of hotel corporate rates for Members of the Bar, which is updated regularly.
Bar Council Bookshop Read MORE … but pay LE$$! Members enjoy a 20% discount on LexisNexis publications at the Bar Council Bookshop. Click on the link above for the list of available titles.
International Malaysia Law Conference (26 to 28 Sept 2012) Hurry up! The countdown continues and the current promotion rate ends 30 June 2012. Don't miss what is going to be the best conference in the region! On top of that, if you sign up with 5 or more people from the same organisation, we will give you a 10% group discount. Click on the link above to register.
Talk on Summary Judgement (25 May 2012) Organised by the Selangor Bar Committee, this talk will take place at 5:00 pm, at the Selangor Bar Committee Auditorium, on 25 May 2012 (Friday). The talk will be conducted by Ramesh Supramanian. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on Tax Issues in Financial Transactions (25 May 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar, featuring S Saravana Kumar, will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 25 May 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Dialogue with Criminal Law Practitioners (26 May 2012) Organised by Bar Council, this dialogue will take place at 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, at the Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Bar Council, on 26 May 2012 (Saturday). Click on the link above for more details.
Conference on Competition Law (31 May 2012) Organised by Bar Council with the support of LexisNexis, this conference will take place at 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, at Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, on 31 May 2012 (Thursday). For more details or to register, please contact Vilashini Vijayan (03-2050 2095; vila@malaysianbar.org.my). Click on the link above for more details.
Talk on What Clients Want (7 June 2012) Organised by the KL Bar Practitioners' Affairs Committee, the talk, presented by Ong Eu Jin, will take place at 5:00 pm, at the KL Bar Auditorium, on 7 June 2012 (Thursday). Click on the link above for more details.
4th LAWASIA Family Law Conference, Penang (13 and 14 July 2012) Supported by Penang Bar Committee and the Malaysian Bar, this conference, themed “The New Global Family: Emerging Trends and Challenges to Family Practice”, will take place at Traders Hotel, Penang, on 13 and 14 July 2012 (Friday and Saturday). Click on the link above for more details.
News 
©The Star (Used by permission)
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Circular No 109/2012: Be a Part of the Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee
