KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein had, on March 26, 1972, established a special security area known as Rajang Area Security Command (Rascom).
A special security area (SSA) combines the public, the police, and the military under one command in an effort to combat threat.
"It is similar to a state of emergency. It is meant to facilitate the movement of defence forces within the area," constitutional law expert Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari said yesterday.
"However, the basic rights of those who are within the area are weakened," he added.
He explained that areas within the special security area are under the direct command of the chief minister. Some civil liberties could be omitted within the area.
Curfew can be imposed and those within the area can be arrested without a warrant. Rascom was established to counter some 500 communist terrorists who had threatened, terrorised, and murdered civilians in the area.
Originally Rascom covered Sibu, Kanowit, Mukah, Oya and Dalat. It was later expanded to Binatang (Bintagor), Sarikei, Julau, Song and Kapit.
Officially, Rascom as a special security area has yet to be abrogated.
However, Abdul Aziz noted that the signing of the 1989 Peace Accord in Hadyai could unofficially end the enforcement of the special laws in the areas.
-thesundaily
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