Harsh security law in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Aug 1: A controversial security law which came into force on Monday in Malaysia will give sweeping security powers to the government and possibly restrict civil liberties, rights groups fear. The new legislation, establishing a tiol Security Council under direct control of Prime Minister jib Razak, went into effect amid accusations that the Southeast Asian tion’s leader had embezzled millions of dollars from a state-run development fund in past years. Activists claimed that the law could also be used to silence political opposition, Sputnik News reported. The law allows the country’s Prime Minister to desigte “security areas” where the forces deployed can search people, vehicles and buildings without a warrant, EFE news reported. It also allows the imposition of curfew and detention of suspects without any charges. jib defended the law last week saying it was necessary due to the current security threats, including jihadi terrorism, in the country. Amnesty Intertiol has urged the government to repeal the law, after it was cleared by both houses of the Malaysian parliament last December, saying it placed extraordiry and potentially abusive powers in the hands of the tiol Security Council. “With this new law, the government now has spurned checks and assumed potentially abusive powers,” Amnesty Intertiol (AI) deputy director for South East Asia and the Pacific, Josef Benedict, said in a statement. (IANS)