Kuala Lumpur:The government is in the final stages of preparing the draft Children (Amendment) Bill 2026, which will soon be submitted to the Cabinet for consideration. This was announced by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), M Kulasegaran.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the amendments focus on refining Section 97 of the Child Act 2001 (Act 611). These changes are necessary following the abolition of mandatory death sentences and life imprisonment in 2023, aiming to achieve a more balanced sentencing approach by removing indefinite imprisonment for juvenile offenders without a specified detention period.
Kulasegaran highlighted that the current Subsection 97(2) of Act 611 mandates that child offenders be detained indefinitely at the pleasure of the King or State Ruler, without a maximum detention period. The MADANI Government aims to reform this framework to ensure a fair sentencing approach that balances justice for children with public safety.
He also mentioned that a Special Committee has been formed to review and amend Section 97 of Act 611, focusing on the best interests of the child, rehabilitation, reintegration, and international best practices. The Cabinet agreed to four policy decisions on these amendments on September 30, which were then presented to the Conference of Rulers on October 14 for further consideration.
In addition, Kulasegaran addressed the proposal to establish a Law Drafting Unit in Parliament. He described this as a progressive step towards enhancing the independence and autonomy of the legislative body. He emphasized that this initiative should be considered within the implementation framework of the Parliamentary Services Act 2025 and will be subject to deliberation by the Parliamentary Service Council regarding staffing and legal requirements.
The establishment of this unit would empower Parliament to develop its legislative drafting capabilities, particularly aiding Members of Parliament in preparing Private Members' Bills and legislative amendments independently of the Executive's drafting expertise.