POLICE officers involved in the arrest and detention of Sosma suspects displayed a lack of professionalism and were abusing their power, said Universiti Malaya law lecturer Dr Azmi Sharom.

The issue needs to be addressed as detainees under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 can be held up to 28 days.

Azmi said the job scope of a police officer does not involve the prosecution of detainees.

“The police should investigate. They are not the prosecutor, they are not the judge. 

“Their task is to investigate and provide evidence to the prosecutor who will present it to the judge. The judge will decide whether one is guilty or innocent,” he said in a forum titled “Is Sosma still relevant in New Malaysia” in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. 

Sosma also breeds laziness among police officers as they need not do anything while the detainees are being held.  

He also stressed the tortures given to the detainees is not an effective method on getting information from the detainees.

“When one is tortured, it is not effective because you do not get the truth.

“One will say anything when in pain, to end the torture.”

Sosma is used as a punishment instead of a law to aid investigation, he said.

“Our laws allow for these to happen, principally, these are not right. The way it is used is an abuse of power,” said Azmi, adding that laws only become bad when they are utilised in the wrong way. 

He also urged Malaysians to change their mindset and stop assuming that those who are arrested are guilty.

“One is innocent until proven guilty. This is an attitude problem and a societal reform should take place,” he added.

Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin previously said the ministry has set up a special committee to review laws deemed not to uphold human rights.

The committee set up last month is chaired by secretary-general Alwi Ibrahim and will look into Sosma, the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (Pota) and Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (Poca). – July 19, 2018.