KOTA BHARU: Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat has clarified that his proposal to review existing laws regarding alleged consensual sex classified as rape represents his personal opinion rather than any official stance.
He maintained there was no requirement to retract his statement despite receiving calls from various quarters to do so.
“Why should I apologise or withdraw the statement when it was merely my personal opinion?” he questioned reporters after attending the Kelantan investiture ceremony at Istana Balai Besar.
Mohd Yusoff explained that government authorities remain free to consider or disregard his suggestions without creating any issues.
He noted that Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had already confirmed the proposal represented his personal viewpoint.
The police chief revealed his proposal stemmed from police investigations in Kelantan revealing most statutory rape cases involved consensual acts between minors.
He expressed concerns about fairness when only one party faces prosecution in such circumstances.
Mohd Yusoff assured he would withdraw the proposal if it caused confusion or appeared insensitive to any parties.
He expressed regret if his previous statement had upset anyone within the community.
On September 23, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution had characterised Mohd Yusoff’s proposal regarding underage sexual offences involving consensual acts as his personal opinion. – Bernama