Consult security forces before doing away with Sosma, says Najib

Pekan MP Najib Abdul Razak said the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), which was introduced when he was prime minister, should not be arbitrarily repealed without consulting the security forces.

Najib said Sosma, which allows for detention without trial, was needed for counter-terrorism purposes.

"If we want to abolish any security law, we must first ask those who are tasked with defending the security of this nation.

"I am referring to the armed forces, police and other authorities - their feedback on whether the abolition of Sosma will impact crime fighting (should be sought).

"Remember that Sosma allows us to take pre-emptive measures. Besides, the process is done through the courts and not at the discretion of the police chief," he said while on the Sungai Kandis by-election campaign trail.

Critics had argued against Sosma, pointing out that it had been abused. They cited how Sosma had been used to detain Maria Chin Abdullah without trial while she was leading the electoral reform group, Bersih. Maria is now the Petaling Jaya MP.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had at a dinner function last week pledged to do away with draconian laws.

However, he misspoke, stating one of those laws as the "Social Security Act", leading to confusion over whether he was referring to Sosma or the National Security Act 2017.-Mkini