Govt to consider proposed Child Act amendments addressing indefinite detention of young offenders

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — The government is finalising the draft Children (Amendment) Bill 2026 for submission to the Cabinet for consideration, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M Kulasegaran.

He said the amendments aimed to improve Section 97 of the Child Act 2001 (Act 611) following the abolition of mandatory death sentences and life imprisonment in 2023 and seek to establish a more proportionate sentencing approach and eliminate indefinite imprisonment of juvenile offenders without a specified detention period.

Kulasegaran said that under the existing Subsection 97(2) of Act 611, the court must order a child offender to be detained in prison at the pleasure of the King or the State Ruler, as applicable under the relevant laws, without specifying a maximum detention period.

“The Madani Government is committed to improving this legal framework to ensure a clearer and more proportionate sentencing approach that takes into account the principles of justice for children as well as public safety,” he said when winding up the debate on the Supply (Budget) Bill 2027 at the committee stage for the Prime Minister’s Department in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He said a Special Committee to Review and Amend Section 97 of Act 611 had been established to examine proposed improvements to the provision, taking into account the principles of the best interests of the child, rehabilitation and reintegration, as well as international best practices.

Kulasegaran said the findings of the review had led to the Cabinet’s agreement on Sept 30 to four policy decisions concerning the proposed amendments to Section 97 of Act 611.

He said the proposed policy decisions were subsequently presented to the Conference of Rulers on Oct 14 for consideration and deliberation.

Meanwhile, on the proposal to establish a Law Drafting Unit in Parliament, Kulasegaran said the move was progressive and in line with efforts to strengthen the independence and autonomy of the country’s legislative institution.

“This matter merits consideration within the framework of implementing the Parliamentary Services Act 2025, subject to deliberation by the Parliamentary Service Council and the relevant staffing and legal requirements,” he said.

He said the establishment of the unit would enable Parliament to develop its own legislative drafting expertise, particularly to assist Members of Parliament in preparing Private Members’ Bills and proposed amendments to legislation without having to rely entirely on the drafting expertise of the Executive. — Bernama

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吉隆坡，11月3日讯——首相署（法律及体制改革）副部长古拉塞加兰表示，政府正在敲定2026年《儿童（修正）法案》草案，以便提交内阁审议。

他表示，这些修正案旨在改进 2001 年《儿童法》（第 611 号法案）第 97 条，因为 2023 年将废除强制性死刑和终身监禁，并寻求建立更相称的量刑方法，并消除对未成年罪犯不设具体拘留期限的无限期监禁。

库拉塞加兰表示，根据现行第 611 号法令第 97(2) 条，法院必须命令将未成年罪犯关押在监狱中，具体期限由国王或州统治者根据相关法律决定，而不能规定最长关押期限。

“马达尼政府致力于完善这一法律框架，以确保量刑方法更加清晰、更加适度，兼顾儿童正义和公共安全原则，”他在昨天于下议院首相署委员会阶段结束对2027年供应（预算）法案的辩论时表示。

他表示，已成立一个特别委员会，负责审查和修订第 611 号法令第 97 条，以审查对该条款的拟议改进，同时考虑到儿童的最大利益、康复和重返社会原则以及国际最佳实践。

库拉塞加兰表示，审查结果促使内阁于 9 月 30 日就拟议的第 611 号法令第 97 条修正案的四项政策决定达成一致。

他表示，随后于10月14日将拟议的政策决定提交给统治者会议审议。

与此同时，针对在议会设立法律起草部门的提议，库拉塞加兰表示，此举是进步的，符合加强国家立法机构独立性和自主性的努力。

他说：“此事值得在2025年《议会服务法》的实施框架内予以考虑，但须经议会服务委员会审议，并符合相关的人员配备和法律要求。”

他表示，该部门的成立将使国会能够发展自身的立法起草能力，尤其是在协助国会议员准备私人法案和拟议修正案方面，而无需完全依赖行政部门的起草能力。——马新社

马来西亚国际贸易及工业部表示，安华和佐哈里率领的贸易代表团有望带来595亿令吉的潜在投资。

俄罗斯空袭乌克兰，造成26人死亡，给和平希望带来新的打击。

马来西亚海关总署逮捕1733人，查获价值8256万令吉的跨境犯罪赃物