KUALA LUMPUR – The Home Ministry is finalizing a draft Bill on house arrest, set to be tabled later this year, according to Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in Parliament. The ministry has been holding consultations with stakeholders to refine the Home Detention Bill, which aims to reduce prison overcrowding by allowing certain convicts to serve sentences at home.

Saifuddin explained that the Bill is undergoing legal reviews and will need Cabinet approval before being presented in Parliament. The Cabinet decision to pursue this initiative was made on September 3, 2024. The new law would be a significant shift, as Malaysian law currently lacks house arrest as a punishment option.