Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said this was part of the proposed amendments to the Registration of Criminals and Undesirable Persons Act 1969, which was agreed upon in principle by the Cabinet on May 21.

“The proposed amendments include introducing a mechanism to allow individuals who have not committed any new offences within a set period (of time) to be considered as having ‘no record’ in the criminal registry.

“This will give these individuals a chance to rebuild their lives by seeking employment or continuing their studies,” he said in a written parliamentary reply.

Saifuddin said the move was aimed at helping former convicts who had shown good behaviour to reintegrate into society without the stigma of a criminal record.

He said the Registration of Criminals and Undesirable Persons Act gave the ministry the legal authority to register individuals convicted of offences listed in the First and Second Schedules of the Act into the criminal registry.

Saifuddin said the government would consider views from all stakeholders through ongoing engagement sessions before tabling the amendments in Parliament.