03 December 2015•Update: 05 December 2015
By P Prem Kumar
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia
A controversial National Security Council Bill (NSC) -- which grants the prime minister supreme security powers -- was approved in parliament late Thursday despite strong protests from opposition MPs and civil society groups.
While touted as a law to protect national security, the law provides expansive powers that Human Rights groups claim could fundamentally threaten human rights and democratic rule.
After opposition parties failed to throw out the motion at the policy stage the NSC was finally passed just before midnight local time in a vocal vote.
A total of 107 MPs voted in support in the initial policy stage while 74 voted against.
The bill was tabled last Tuesday with a main resolution to allow the council -- which would be chaired by the prime minister – take charge of security forces and declare a designated location as a "security area" which is seen as a risk to the country.
Such an area would be valid for six months at a time, subject to renewal by the premier.
Security forces will also posses the right to search or arrest without warrant any individual found committing, or suspected of having committed, or reasonably under the suspicion of having committed any offence under written laws in the security area.
Earlier Thursday, Human Rights Watch referred to the NSC as a clear tool for repression.
"Now we know what the path to Malaysian dictatorship looks like," Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch's deputy director for Asia, said in statement.
He claimed that security forces will be permitted, among other things, to limit freedom of movement, conduct searches without warrant for evidence of violation of "any written law", and arrest individuals without a warrant on suspicion of committing "any offense under any written law".
He added that it also establishes new lows on impunity by security forces by protecting them from any legal proceedings for any actions taken "in good faith", while imposing a sweeping obligation of secrecy on all those involved with the council.
