KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition lawmakers should accept the new

antiterrorism law as it is not aimed at curbing the freedom of speech and human rights, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, but is mainly targeted at militant activities.

He said the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition should realise the importance of having such a law to curb terrorism in the country, adding that the new Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota), which is set to be tabled in this Parliament sitting, is also apolitical.

“All opposition MPs need to accept and support this new law because it is a preventive law, not one that obstructs the freedom of speech and one which curbs human rights,” he told reporters after the opening of the Parliament sitting yesterday.

Earlier, in his royal address, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah told the government to continue strengthening the nation’s security and public order, namely to

tackle terrorism in Sabah and to curb the spread of religious extremism in the form of the Islamic State’s militant activities.

Last week, Ahmad Zahid also told the media that the Cabinet had been briefed on the new bill by the Attorney-General and the draft would be finalised before it was tabled in Parliament.

He said Pota would strengthen existing laws such as the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) and the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca), though Sosma and Poca were not specifically for prevention of terrorism.

He also stressed that Pota was not a revival of the Internal Security Act or the Emergency Ordinance.

It was reported earlier this month that the new antiterror act will include provisions that allow for detention without trial and electronic monitoring.

The Malaysian Insider quoted sources familiar with the new act as saying that it will have features similar to Poca, which allows suspected criminals to be detained without trial for up to two years. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on March 10, 2015.