KUALA LUMPUR: The government must ensure that the plan to implement home detention for prisoners is not abused, said Alliance for A Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
He said this was to ensure that the initiative could be carried out fairly for deserving groups, such as those with chronic diseases, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
The Licensed Prisoner Release initiative will apply to selected inmates serving four years or less.
"The Prisons Department must make sure the system is not be abused. They must go through the applications thoroughly to make sure that it is carried out without fear or favour.
"There could be VIP (very important person) inmates trying to give all kinds of excuses (to be considered for home detention)."
"This is crucial because if there is (an element of) abuse, people will lose faith in the scheme," he told the 'New Straits Times'.
Lee, however, welcomes the idea of home detention that was announced by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail yesterday.
"This can help address the issue of overcrowding in prisons because I believe we have more than 50,000 inmates.
"Also, home detention is a more humane approach if it is used for the right group of people.
"So the Alliance for A Safe Community supports and welcomes this idea by the minister."
He said the Home Ministry could study how other countries had implemented the system to identify problems.
"I hope the government will provide details and data on how it is supposed to be implemented, such as ways of monitoring the prisoners."