Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was sore when Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak repealed the Internal Security Act, said the latter did not expect the crime rate to rise in the absence of preventive detention laws.
"Yes he promised (to abolish preventive detention laws) but he never expected all these crimes. You didn’t expect it either, I didn’t expect it as well.
"Just look at the crimes that are happening now, even walking around is no longer safe,” added the former premier.
Mahathir said this in defence of the amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA), which has drawn flak from various quarters.
The police had blamed the spike in crime on the government’s decision to repeal the Emergency Ordinance (EO), which provided for detention without trial.
Najib had come under fire over the amendments to the PCA, with detractors accusing him of reneging on his earlier promise.
Mahathir, on the other hand, had always maintained that there was a need for harsh security laws like the ISA, which earned notoriety when it was invoked against political dissidents.
"Yes he promised (to abolish preventive detention laws) but he never expected all these crimes. You didn’t expect it either, I didn’t expect it as well. "Just look at the crimes that are happening now, even walking around is no longer safe,” added the former premier.
Mahathir said this in defence of the amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA), which has drawn flak from various quarters.
The police had blamed the spike in crime on the government’s decision to repeal the Emergency Ordinance (EO), which provided for detention without trial.
Najib had come under fire over the amendments to the PCA, with detractors accusing him of reneging on his earlier promise.
Mahathir, on the other hand, had always maintained that there was a need for harsh security laws like the ISA, which earned notoriety when it was invoked against political dissidents.
The price of freedom
Elaborating, Mahathir said the existence of such laws were a form of sacrifice needed for freedom.
"We have to make some sacrifice. We have to be free but there is a limit to freedom.
"If we have no limit to freedom then it will be anarchy," he said.
In his usual sarcastic manner, he expressed confidence that the amendments to the PCA will be abolished too if the government thinks the public are back on their best behaviour.
"I think if we behave ourselves, they can repeal it just as they repealed ISA," he quipped.
He was met on the sidelines of the World Chinese Economy Forum organised by Asian Strategic Leadership Institute (Asli) this morning.
The Dewan Rakyat passed the Prevention of Crime (Amendment and Extension) Bill 2013 at about 12.30am today.
The new amendments provides Putrajaya with wide-ranging powers to detain suspects without trial for up to two years, which can be extended for another two years.
The amendments were vehemently opposed by human rights advocates and opposition lawmakers, who argued that detention without trial was not only affront to principles of justice, but also warned that it can be abused.
"We have to make some sacrifice. We have to be free but there is a limit to freedom.
"If we have no limit to freedom then it will be anarchy," he said.
In his usual sarcastic manner, he expressed confidence that the amendments to the PCA will be abolished too if the government thinks the public are back on their best behaviour.
"I think if we behave ourselves, they can repeal it just as they repealed ISA," he quipped.
He was met on the sidelines of the World Chinese Economy Forum organised by Asian Strategic Leadership Institute (Asli) this morning.
The Dewan Rakyat passed the Prevention of Crime (Amendment and Extension) Bill 2013 at about 12.30am today.
The new amendments provides Putrajaya with wide-ranging powers to detain suspects without trial for up to two years, which can be extended for another two years.
The amendments were vehemently opposed by human rights advocates and opposition lawmakers, who argued that detention without trial was not only affront to principles of justice, but also warned that it can be abused.
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