We Strongly Protest The Amendments To The DNA Bill

The Malaysian Bar:

Dewan Rakyat: Bill undermines court's jurisdiction, say lawyers
Wednesday, 27 August 2008 08:53am

• Uproar over tabling of DNA Bill

©New Straits Times (Used by permission)
by V. Vasudevan, Eileen Ng, Joseph Sipalan, Irdiani Mohd Salleh and Ili Liyana Mokhtar

THE Bar Council wants the government to withdraw the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Identification Bill 2008, arguing that it removes the court's jurisdiction to determine the validity of DNA information tendered as evidence.

The Bar's Human Rights Committee chairman Edmund Bon said Section 24 of the bill would allow any information from the DNA databank to be admitted as conclusive proof in any court proceeding.

Link: Click here for more details.........

Our Comment:

1. We strongly protest to the Government to stop making unjustified and abusive amendments to the DNA Bill. We shall hold the Home Minister Hamid Albar responsible for this transgression. If anyone in Malaysia is being unjustly persecuted due to these amendments, we will pray to Allah s.w.t. so that the Al-Mighty invokes His wrath onto Hamid Albar and all those who are involved in passing these amendments.

2. We greatly commend the The Bar Council for highlighting and protesting this issue to the Government and to the people of Malaysia. We consider that The Council has redeemed itself by taking up this issue. This will restore The Council's image in the eyes of the public.

3. We always propagate the concept of "To err is human, and to forgive is divine". So, we have nothing against The Council now. Our only advise to The Council is to perform a FMEA (Failure Mode & Effects Analysis) first on any issue before bringing it up to the public for an open debate. This will ensure that there will be no adverse effects and collateral damages down the line.

Best Regards.........