She said the announcement by de facto law minister Liew Vui Keong was something that civil society organisations had long been advocating.

“The announcement is good news and shows that the government, nine months after sweeping to power in the 14th general election, is still very much committed towards initiating reforms.

“It is important that the government use this opportunity to take a comprehensive approach towards changing the laws to ensure our institutions are no longer open to corrupt practices and abuse of powers,” the former Bersih 2.0 chairman said in a statement.

She said law reforms must be complemented by building strong institutions with clear principles on governance and human rights.

“Amending detention laws must be complemented with reforms in the police force so as to deal with detainees fairly and justly.

She pointed out that the 2005 Royal Commission to Enhance the Operations and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police had made strong recommendations to establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

Maria said prison reform is also long overdue and there must be better approaches towards retribution, incapacitation, deterrence and rehabilitation of prisoners.

“This will set higher standards in the treatment of prisoners as there have been too many recorded instances of abuse within our prisons and police lockups.”

A clear roadmap with a clear timeframe on the implementation of these laws and the strengthening of institutions is needed, she added.