In response to Wan Saiful Wan Jan’s (PN-Tasek Gelugor) claim that opposition politicians were being silenced through legal action, Saifuddin said the statistics showed otherwise.
Saifuddin said that in the three months since the unity government was formed, the police had received 922,299 police reports – with only 168 of them filed against politicians.
Out of the 168 reports, 14 investigation papers had been opened and some had been referred to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), added Saifuddin.
“(Therefore) can we make a sweeping statement that laws are being used by the police to probe MPs as part of a move to silence them?” he asked while delivering his winding-up speech on the royal address at the Dewan Rakyat.
“It is just 168 out of 922,299 reports. The police have many more issues to deal with, such as tackling human trafficking and serious crimes, guarding our borders, and other matters.”
Wan Saiful claimed trial yesterday on a charge of accepting a RM6.9 million bribe in relation to the Jana Wibawa initiative.
He was also charged with soliciting an unspecified amount for a road project worth RM232 million linked to the programme.
Support citizenship amendment bill
Meanwhile, on the issue of citizenship, Saifuddin called on all MPs to support the bill to amend the Federal Constitution to grant Malaysian mothers the right to pass Malaysian citizenship to their overseas-born children.
On Saturday, the Cabinet agreed to amend the Federal Constitution to enable automatic Malaysian citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian mothers. As it stands, children born overseas to Malaysian women are not entitled to automatic citizenship as the Federal Constitution only provides for citizenship through fathers.
The amendment is expected to be tabled during the current Dewan Rakyat sitting after fulfilling legal requirements. The constitutional amendment can only be passed with two-thirds support of the Dewan Rakyat.
“When this law was made in the 1950s, it was unimaginable back then that our (Malaysian) women would marry (men) from other parts of the world,” said Saifuddin.
“It is 2023 now. Is the law static? That is why we are suggesting this constitutional amendment, and our target is that it must have the support of 148 (MPs), which cuts across the political divide.
“We just want to do the right thing.”