11/06/2026

THURSDAY | JUNE 11, 2026

3 Economist calls for stronger economic buffers

Juveniles detained for

capital offences in legal limbo, says lawyer

KUALA LUMPUR: Seven individuals detained as children for capital offences face an open-ended imprisonment with no fixed release date – a legal limbo that experts say amounts to a life sentence in all but name. The plight of the seven, held under Section 97(2) of the Child Act 2001, was laid bare at the Legal Symposium on Children’s Rights to Access to Justice and Effective Remedies at Wisma Badan Peguam Malaysia yesterday. Child rights lawyers and academics warned that Malaysia’s failure to bring juvenile detainees under the 2023 death penalty reforms had left a generation of former child offenders in legal freefall. Seira & Sharizad partner and child rights lawyer Khaizan Sharizad Ab Razak said the seven individuals were below 18 when convicted of offences carrying the death penalty but were spared execution because of their age and instead ordered to be detained at the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or state Ruler. When the 2023 death penalty reforms allowed adults sentenced to death or natural life imprisonment to be resentenced, those held under Section 97 were excluded, creating a gap that Khaizan said left them worse off than adult convicts. “One of the seven applicants was charged under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act and has been in detention for more than 20 years.” “At this moment, they don’t know (when they will be released). It’s akin to a natural life sentence, without saying it’s natural life.” Khaizan called for Section 97 to be amended to bring those detained under the provision within a resentencing framework, with a lower sentencing range than that applied to adults. She also raised concerns about the Board of Visiting Justices, which is empowered to review such cases at least once a year and recommend early release or continued detention, saying the process operated without scrutiny. “The problem is that it is not transparent. The problem is that we have no access to this board. The problem is that we do not know how often they go in and what information they take from these cases.” The calls for reform were reinforced by Leiden University Unicef chair in Children’s Rights Prof Ton Liefaard, who said prolonged detention of children is both a rights violation and a policy failure. “Locking up a child for a long period of time is not only an infringement of his rights but also very ineffective. “When they return, they have nothing to build on, nothing to rely on and nothing to fall back on. That causes all kinds of issues for society again.” Ton said courts and authorities need to address the root causes of juvenile offending rather than defaulting to punitive responses. Bar Council Child Rights Committee co-deputy chairperson Collin Andrew said access to legal representation is indispensable as children frequently require lawyers to challenge detention or contest decisions affecting their rights. – BY FAIZ RUZMAN

Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

o ‘Contingency planning no longer optional as geopolitical fault lines, trade fragmentation and supply chain shocks increasingly threaten country’s industrial base’

carbon-based green financing that SMEs must not be locked out of. “If SMEs are left out of these systems, they could fall behind as Asean carbon markets develop and as rules like the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism take effect.” She called for a swift rollout of SME-focused carbon finance and circular economy pilot projects, particularly in steel, chemicals, palm oil and manufacturing. She said delayed contingency planning would compound structural risks beyond short-term market volatility, eroding industrial competitiveness and burdening Malaysia’s social fabric. “SMEs are expected to be most affected, as limited supplier networks and financial buffers could heighten risks of input shortages and cash flow pressure.” She said inaction would also slow Malaysia’s transition towards sustainable and digitalised systems, weakening its position under emerging carbon trade rules. Poon called on the government, industry and SMEs to shift from reactive crisis management to proactive resilience-building.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s export dependent economy is facing growing vulnerabilities, with concerns that it may be operating with limited buffers, said economist Prof Dr Poon Wai Ching. She warned that contingency planning is no longer optional as geopolitical fault lines, trade fragmentation and supply chain shocks increasingly threaten the country’s industrial base. “Bank Negara Malaysia has consistently highlighted that intensifying geopolitical tensions, trade fragmentation, energy insecurity and supply chain disruptions pose significant downside risks to macroeconomic stability, trade competitiveness and financial markets,” said Poon, who leads the Cluster for Innovative Management Practices at Taylor’s University Centre for Future of Work. She said strategic domestic industries, including semiconductors, electrical and electronics, palm oil and downstream manufacturing, KUALA LUMPUR: Rohingya children risk bearing the brunt of rising anti refugee sentiment if public pressure to expel the community is allowed to override legal safeguards for minors, said Bar Council Child Rights Committee co-deputy chairperson Collin Andrew. He said his “biggest worry” is whether children would be affected by a viral petition calling for Rohingya refugees to be expelled from Malaysia. “The refugees have their own children, so it will eventually trickle down to them as well. I think it is okay to have public discourse but it should not descend into hatred, vilification and dehumanising. “They are humans. They have to be treated with dignity,” Andrew told theSun on the sidelines of the Legal Symposium on Children’s Rights to Access to Justice and Effective Remedies yesterday. Andrew said the issue must be addressed through legal safeguards, public education and better cooperation between enforcement agencies, lawyers and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He cited a case involving a 15-year old Rohingya girl detained at the Belantik Immigration Detention Depot, where lawyers faced difficulty accessing her for a habeas corpus application. After a court order was obtained, lawyers entered the detention centre, secured her affidavit and she was eventually released. Andrew said UNHCR assessments Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

structural reform. She added that while no official forecast predicts a “June shock”, multiple risk indicators are converging in 2026, with the Finance Ministry itself flagging concerns over geopolitical tensions, trade fragmentation and climate-related disruptions. She added that short-term buffers such as fuel stockpiling, import diversification and targeted subsidies could cushion energy price spikes. “The real priority is to strengthen long-term resilience by building a circular economy and using digital green finance systems.” Poon said the digital finance space presents an early-mover opportunity, and pointed to Bank Negara Malaysia’s asset tokenisation plans as a vehicle for

remain particularly vulnerable to localised geopolitical shocks that could rapidly cascade across regional production systems. Poon said effective preparedness requires scenario planning, diversified supply chains, robust digital infrastructure and coordinated regional mechanisms to contain price and supply volatility. She said the urgency is especially acute for SMEs, which make up about 98.5% of businesses in Malaysia. “Unlike large multinational companies, SMEs usually have less cash reserves, fewer suppliers and are less able to quickly adjust when external shocks or crises happen.” Poon said the anticipated economic stress by mid-2026 should be treated not as a fixed deadline but as a call to accelerate

‘Rohingya children at risk of anti-refugee sentiment’

Andrew said UNHCR assessments must be given due recognition when authorities deal with refugee children, particularly on documentation issues. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THE SUN

had their detention successfully challenged at the Alor Setar High Court, which held that their continued detention violated Article 22 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. “The moment a person leaves the country fearing persecution he becomes a refugee. What UNHCR is merely trying to do is give recognition that this is indeed a genuine asylum seeker. How can

must be given due recognition when authorities deal with refugee children, particularly on documentation issues. “At the end of the day, they are refugees. UNHCR is the only body that can give that kind of evidence and assessment. So enough consideration must be given to that.” He also highlighted the 2018 Belantik case where Rohingya minors aged between five and 14

that be an afterthought?” On the proposed Refugee Registration Document, Andrew called it a positive step, but stressed it must come with clear rights. “Rights must be attached to this document. They must not be at constant risk of arrest and detention. They must be allowed some basic necessities and also be allowed to contribute to the economy.”