Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMM) head, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said similar laws in the past such as the Internal Security Act 1948 (ISA), were also unable to curb the rise of militant groups.
“The rational for Pota is weak”, Saifuddin said, and added that ISA failed to prevent the rise of Al-Maunah, a militant group that seized weapons from an army camp in Perak in 2000.
Similarly, the United States’ own Patriot Act did not prevent the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis), Saifuddin told The Malaysian Insider.
“Preventive paradigm is a very attractive preposition. But, unfortunately, it has shown that it cannot always prevent violent extremism”.
Saifuddin said that present laws such as the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, or Sosma, were enough.
The Najib administration has tabled the Pota bill in Parliament, arguing that more stringent measures are needed to deal with Malaysians joining terror groups. Lawmakers are set to debate and pass Pota in the next few days.
Saifuddin is the latest to join those against Pota, including the Bar Council which yesterday urged the bill to be withdrawn.
The bill comes as the Home Ministry announced on March 31 that 75 people were arrested for links to Isis.
Suspects can be first detained a maximum of 59 days (including the initial remand period), before being brought to the Prevention of Terrorism Board, which can then order further detention of up to two years.
Following this, the detention period can be renewed if the board decides that there are reasonable grounds. It can also free detainees.
The bill does not allow any judicial review in any court, noting that no court shall have jurisdiction over any act or decision by the board in discharging its powers.
However, it expressly states that no one can be arrested and detained "solely" for their political beliefs or political activities.
The Pota bill is expected to be passed as the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) has a simple majority in the Dewan Rakyat.
Trust deficit
Saifuddin, who was the deputy higher education minister, said that the Sedition Act and the ISA were frequently misused.
“In an atmosphere where the police are excessively using the Sedition Act and there are unjustified arrests, implementation of Pota starts with a trust deficit.”
He was referring to the dragnet over the past few months against activists and opposition politicians charged under the Sedition Act.
“When the authorities introduced Pota with the heightened number of people (charged) under the Sedition Act, how do you expect people to simply accept your intention to propose Pota?”
Saifuddin said that research in the United Kingdom showed that although government approval ratings go up when such laws are passed, it also creates pockets of radicalisation.
“Pockets of people get more agitated because of the unfair laws and become radicalised. The radicalised need not join violent extreme groups.
“But nevertheless, we must take cognisant of this phenomenon as it may occur here too.”
Instead, Saifuddin argues for a more holistic counter-terrorism plan that takes into account socio-political dimensions.
“This is not just a security issue. We need better cooperation and we need to activate the Asean Institute for Peace and Reconcilliation (AIPR).”
He said Putrajaya should strengthen its Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) team and set up a national command centre involving all agencies and non-governmental groups.
The command centre should be led by someone that reports directly to the prime minister and not the home or defence minister, he said.
He added that the centre should also work on messaging, and cooperate on a regional basis as well as anticipate post-Isis terrorits.
“We must deal with the roo cause and fighting terrorism must be balanced with the need to strengthen democracy, liberty and human rights.”
- TMI
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