Khairy slams ‘envious’ Pakatan, Anwar

The Rembau MP says the government beat the opposition pact with regard to repealing the ISA.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat is jealous that Barisan Nasional has decided to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA) before the former can do so, said Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

During the debate in Parliament, the Rembau MP said while the opposition pact promised to repeal the ISA once in power, they failed to put in provisions to protect national security in their “Orange Book.”

“The opposition is weak when it comes to national security,” he added.

Earlier, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak tabled the Security Offences (Special Measures) Bill 2012 for second reading in Parliament.

Najib also told the Dewan Rakyat that the ISA would soon be abolished once the new Act was gazetted as a law and the government would move to review the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) as part of his Political Transformation Plan (PTP).

Calling it a historic day, Khairy lauded the prime minister for fulfilling the promise made last year and for managing to balance between the need to protect the nation’s security and upholding civil liberties.

However, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim told the Dewan Rakyat in his debate that the new legislation would allow mandatory detention, even if a person was acquitted by the court, upon an oral application by the DPP.

The former deputy prime minister later urged the government to set up a committee to study the bill before it was passed as a law.

Khairy hit back at Anwar, accusing the opposition leader of practising “selective parliamentary democracy” in his call for a committee.

“We set up a committee on Lynas (rare earth plant) but the opposition rejected it. What is this, selective parliamentary democracy?” he asked, drawing cheers from BN backbenchers.

Praising the new Bill, Khairy said the legislation would allow a detainee full judicial review as opposed to the ISA which only allowed reviews on procedural matters.

“And the new Bill is not cast in stone as it will be reviewed every five years by a committee that includes members from the Bar Council and Suhakam,” he pointed out.

Home minister: Don’t politicise it

Speaking at a press conference in Parliament later, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the matter should not be politicised as it involved protecting the nation’s sovereignity.

“We promised to uphold civil liberties in the new law and we did it,” he added.

Hishammuddin said the government consulted various stakeholders before coming up with the new Bill, including the police.

On Anwar’s criticism to certain provisions in the Bill, the home minister said it was irresponsible for the former to do so.

“They (the opposition) are picking on the Bill just because of one or two points. They are in denial and just politicising the matter,” he added.

Asked if the amendments to the PPPA would include the electronic media, Hishammuddin refused to comment on the matter.

“The draft is ready and we will table it in the next session,” he said.

Also present were Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar and his deputy Khalid Abdul Bakar.