This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on April 10, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: The Bill to amend the National Security Council Act 2016 will introduce some limits to the power of the prime minister, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Under the existing Act, the prime minister has almost absolute power during an emergency, the prime minister said.

“If you give that power to the prime minister, it is possible for him to declare a certain area as a security area.

“And in that area he can arrest people without bringing [the people] to the court, and if [the arrested person] dies, there will be no enquiry,” said Dr Mahathir.

“So you are giving the prime minister the power of life and death over people. This is terrible. The prime minister should not have that power.

“The power to declare an emergency [should be] with the King, of course with the advice of the [Council]. At least there are certain barriers,” he added.

The Bill to amend the National Security Council Act 2016 was tabled for first reading yesterday.

 The Yang di-Pertuan Agong will hold the right to make such declaration at the advice of the National Security Council (NSC), the Bill said.

 The amendment Bill was tabled by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohamed Hanipa Maidin before Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon.