Ibrahim Ali calls for ISA-like law to protect royalty from insults

 The president of the Putra party says the proposed law on the sovereignty of the rulers could allow for detention of up to two weeks without a court warrant.

Putra president Ibrahim Ali said the law should be introduced immediately to protect the position of the rulers and that of Islam in the country.

PETALING JAYA:

The government has been urged to enact a special law, similar to the now-repealed Internal Security Act, to punish any party or person who questions royal decrees or insults, ridicules or belittles royalty.

Ibrahim Ali.

The law was proposed by Ibrahim Ali, president of Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), who said the law should be introduced immediately to protect the position of the rulers and that of Islam in the country, Bernama reported.

“We propose the drafting of a Sovereignty of the Rulers Bill which could function similar to the now-repealed Internal Security Act, serving as a special legal mechanism under which those accused of insulting the royal institution could be detained by a senior police officer for up to two weeks without a court warrant for investigation purposes,” he said.

Speaking at the Daulat Tuanku gathering in Shah Alam today, he said the proposal was made following an increase in cases involving insults against the royal institution, including the circulation on social media of a caricature allegedly insulting the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. - FMT