The SPENT mechanism will allow certain criminal records to be exempted after a crime-free period, aiding rehabilitation and reducing stigma for former convicts.
KUALA LUMPUR: The government will introduce a SPENT mechanism to provide former convicts with a second chance by exempting certain criminal records.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (pic) told the Dewan Rakyat the mechanism is part of proposed amendments to the Registration of Criminals and Undesirable Persons Act 1969.
He said the mechanism would allow exemptions after an individual has undergone a prescribed crime-free period, subject to conditions and the nature of the offence.
“This second-chance mechanism is designed by taking into account several international best practices as benchmarks, including those in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Brunei and Australia,” he said.
In essence, an individual who has completed their sentence and not reoffended within a reasonable period may be regarded as having no criminal record.
He clarified this would not apply to cases involving serious offences.
The proposed amendments to the Act were approved by the Cabinet on May 21 last year and are currently under review by the Attorney General’s Chambers.
Saifuddin said he intends to table the amendments during this year’s Parliamentary sitting.
Replying to a supplementary question on societal stigma, he said the issue requires collective commitment from employers and the community.
The government continues to provide support through rehabilitation programmes, skills training and job placement initiatives.
To date, 2.6 million individuals have been recorded under Act 7 since 1969, with nearly half involving drug offence convictions.
The minister said the Malaysian Prison Department has already introduced second-chance initiatives via community-based rehabilitation programmes.
Inmates involved in minor offences can serve one-third of their sentence in prison, with the remaining two-thirds served outside at external centres.
“We provide accommodation, employment opportunities and TVET trainings. At present, we have six external centres, including one in Pantai Merdeka that accommodates 250 individuals,” he said.
He highlighted the programme’s success, noting that for every 800 individuals released, only one returns to prison.
