Why was the Prisons (Amendment) Bill 2026 deferred?

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The Prisons (Amendment) Bill 2026 was deferred for further scrutiny by two Parliamentary Special Select Committees after issues raised in the Dewan Rakyat debate were taken into account

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said the Prisons (Amendment) Bill 2026 was deferred and would be referred back to the Parliamentary Special Select Committees (PSSCs) on Security and on Human Rights, Election and Institutional Reform for further scrutiny. He said the Home Ministry had taken note of all issues raised during the Dewan Rakyat debate and was carefully considering the views and feedback presented. The Bill had already been referred to the PSSC on Human Rights, Election and Institutional Reform on Oct 29, 2025, and to the PSSC on Security on June 16.
The deferral followed a Dewan Rakyat debate and a review of issues raised
During the Dewan Rakyat debate, 14 government and opposition MPs participated, and many of them proposed withdrawing the Bill and referring it to a PSSC for further scrutiny. The debate highlighted concerns connected to the proposed new Section 63A, with one stated view being that compliance with instructions issued by senior prison officers should remain subject to accountability and consistent with the rule of law. These concerns were part of the issues the Home Ministry said it was considering when winding up the debate.
The Bill is being re-scrutinised by the PSSCs on Security and human rights matters
Shamsul Anuar stated that the Bill would be referred to two PSSCs: the PSSC on Security and the PSSC on Human Rights, Election and Institutional Reform. This referral is framed as additional scrutiny after the Home Ministry reviewed what MPs raised during the debate and after the Bill had already gone through PSSC attention earlier in 2025 and 2026. He also said briefing sessions were held for MPs to obtain their views on the proposed legislation.
Section 63A and legal protection for actions under the commissioner general drew scrutiny
The Bill’s proposed new Section 63A would grant legal protection to prison officers and individuals acting on orders, instructions, or directives of the commissioner general. Several MPs, including William Leong Jee Keen, Datuk Awang Hashim, Ramkarpal Singh, Datuk Seri Madius Tangau and RSN Rayer, raised concerns that the way instructions are complied with should be accountable and aligned with the rule of law. The decision to defer and re-refer the Bill is therefore tied to the need for further committee scrutiny of these issues.
The government said committees previously responded positively to amendments, but further review still proceeded
Shamsul Anuar said that, in general, both committees responded positively to amendments proposed by the Home Ministry through the Bill. Even so, the Bill was deferred and re-referred for further scrutiny after the Dewan Rakyat debate, indicating that the Home Ministry was still taking up concerns raised by MPs rather than treating earlier committee feedback as the final step. The Dewan Rakyat sitting is set to resume on Monday.

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Why was the Prisons (Amendment) Bill 2026 deferred?

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