Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma), which critics have described as draconian, provides that “any statement by an accused whether orally or in writing to any person at any time” can be admitted into evidence, with no exception for evidence obtained under duress.

- Former Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah

COMMENT | I have no idea why Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail would defend something like Sosma.

I get that there are certain cabals within the state security apparatus who approve of laws like Sosma for obvious reasons - but ditching this law should be an easy win for the Pakatan Harapan-led unity government.

And, really, all the home minister should have said was that Sosma was under a moratorium until it could be studied further and slowly phased out.

If he wanted to show government support for the state security apparatus, what he should have done is assure the state security apparatus, especially the police, that the government was looking into the welfare of their personnel and devising methods to ease their burdens during these economic trying times, namely when it comes to issues such as housing, salary and professional welfare.

This way, the government is not endorsing draconian laws...