PM: Law needs to define major and minor terror threats

PARLIAMENT | Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today that it is up to the police to investigate and find evidence that would differentiate between major or minor terrorism-linked acts.

At the same time, Mahathir said the government's review of preventive laws, including the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), is being done to better define between a clear act of terror and indirect or unknowing support of such acts.

"In general, this law (Sosma) has been used to detain individuals involved in acts of terror, for example strapping a bomb on their body or making plans to kill someone.

"But, at the same time, there were also those (detained) with lesser evidence, (such as) taking a photo with a person later identified as a terrorist. It’s not their fault," he said during the Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat this morning.

Mahathir said another example could be an individual suspected of terror links for donating a small sum of money with no impact on the government's stability.

"This is up to the police to differentiate between claims with little evidence and acts that will clearly threaten national security.

"The government has reviewed the law because we see the need to define between minor offences and acts that threaten national security," Mahathir said.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Edmund Santhara (Harapan-Segamat) on a recent case of an individual detained under Sosma for unknowingly abetting an act of terror through a financial donation.

Earlier, Mahathir reiterated the government's commitment to review draconian laws, including the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, Official Secrets Act and the Prevention of Crime Act 1959. - Mkini