Hon. Faiszer Musthapha, PC

Hon. Faiszer Musthapha (PC) expressed support for the proposed amendments to the Judicature Act and the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Act, particularly welcoming provisions extending jurisdiction over drug operations conducted from the high seas on stateless vessels. He called for the introduction of a dedicated undercover decoy unit, modelled on United States law enforcement mechanisms, to allow Police and Tri-Forces to covertly engage with drug cartels and gather admissible evidence against high-level traffickers. He also raised concerns about inhumane prison conditions at Welikade, the continued operation of drug networks from within prisons, and the ineffectiveness of signal scramblers, urging technical solutions to restore their use. Additionally, he urged amendments to the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act to extend witness protection beyond the trial period, including the option of overseas relocation in serious drug cases.

This appears to be a procedural statement rather than a substantive speech. Hon. Faiszer Musthapha, PC, addressed the Presiding Member solely to request the remaining eight minutes of his allocated speaking time, noting that he had previously yielded two minutes to another Member from his original ten-minute allocation.

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Hon. Faiszer Musthapha, PC, briefly indicated his support for seconding the Motion, but only on the condition that the words "Provincial Council Elections Act" are removed from it. He deferred to the House to accept the proposed amendment.

Hon. Faiszer Musthapha, PC, briefly seconded a Motion before the House, while simultaneously proposing an amendment to delete the words "Provincial Council Elections Act" from the Motion's text.

Hon. Faiszer Musthapha raised two distinct issues during the debate on the Bill to repeal MPs' pensions. On the pension Bill, he cautioned against retrospective application, citing Article 36(2) of the Constitution regarding the protection of presidential pensions, and argued that former MPs who sacrificed professional careers to serve in Parliament are deserving of similar consideration. He proposed replacing the current scheme with a contributory pension model funded by deductions from MPs' salaries, referencing comparable systems in the UK, Singapore, Australia, Canada, and Germany. He also called on both the Government and Opposition to take urgent, unified action to ensure the safety of lawyers, judges, and law enforcement officers in response to a recent murder of a lawyer, linking such violence to drug trafficking networks and invoking Article 13(3) of the Constitution on the right to legal representation.

## Summary Hon. Faiszer Musthapha briefly acknowledged the Institute of Real Estate Professionals, Sri Lanka Bill before focusing his remarks on the **Protection of Residents Bill** (gazetted 18 September 2025), which he characterised as dangerous and deeply flawed. He argued that the Bill, as drafted, would grant unlawful occupants—including tenants who default on rent—a statutory right to electricity, water, and common amenities, which he contended would severely damage the construction and condominium sector (contributing approximately 4% of GDP in 2024) and deter property owners, including retirees dependent on rental income, from leasing their units. He identified the absence of a definition for "lawful resident" as a critical deficiency, noting it conflicts with the established legal principle that wrongdoers should not benefit from their own conduct, and referenced court challenges already filed by condominium industry associations. Musthapha called for substantial amendments, particularly a clear definition of "lawful resident," and supported referral of the Bill to Committee Stage to address these concerns before the Second Reading.