It comes as little surprise that Dr Mahathir Mohamad has chosen to endorse the amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act.
During his tenure, the nation witnessed scores, politicians and activists included, being incarcerated under the now defunct Internal Security Act, which provided for detention without trial.
Asked to comment on the amendments to the PCA, Mahathir, who was upset when Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak repealed the ISA, said the country still needed harsh laws.
"This country for a time will need that kind of harsh laws," he told reporters after attending a scholarship presentation at Sunway University today.
Amendments to the PCA was tabled in Parliament Wednesday in which detention without trial would be re-introduced.
However, the decision on issuing such a detention order would no longer solely be in the hands of the home minister but instead be decided by a three-member board led by a judge.
Mahathir, who was credited with masterminding the biggest ISA dragnet in 1987, lamented that the people still did not understand the importance of such laws.
"You see the moment you remove the law (detention without trial), what has happened?
"People are not that developed or educated to appreciate that the law is for the good of the people," he said.
However, the former premier said if the law was to be abused, then there would be consequences.
Zaid: Dr M wrong again
Mahathir's endorsement for the amendments drew a lightning quick rebuke from former law minister Zaid Ibrahim (right) on Twitter.
"Dr M wrong again. Harsh laws (are) needed because leaders are not educated or sophisticated. People of Malaysia are fine," read his tweet.
Earlier, journalists had swamped the former premier after his press conference as the organisers of the event had prevented political questions from being raised.
"This is not my press conference, this is Sunway's, maybe we can have coffee later," Mahathir joked with journalists when asked if he could comment on political matters.
After briefly addressing the PCA issue after the press conference, he was whisked away.
Asked to comment on the amendments to the PCA, Mahathir, who was upset when Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak repealed the ISA, said the country still needed harsh laws."This country for a time will need that kind of harsh laws," he told reporters after attending a scholarship presentation at Sunway University today.
Amendments to the PCA was tabled in Parliament Wednesday in which detention without trial would be re-introduced.
However, the decision on issuing such a detention order would no longer solely be in the hands of the home minister but instead be decided by a three-member board led by a judge.
Mahathir, who was credited with masterminding the biggest ISA dragnet in 1987, lamented that the people still did not understand the importance of such laws.
"You see the moment you remove the law (detention without trial), what has happened?
"People are not that developed or educated to appreciate that the law is for the good of the people," he said.
However, the former premier said if the law was to be abused, then there would be consequences.
Zaid: Dr M wrong again
Mahathir's endorsement for the amendments drew a lightning quick rebuke from former law minister Zaid Ibrahim (right) on Twitter.
"Dr M wrong again. Harsh laws (are) needed because leaders are not educated or sophisticated. People of Malaysia are fine," read his tweet.
Earlier, journalists had swamped the former premier after his press conference as the organisers of the event had prevented political questions from being raised.
"This is not my press conference, this is Sunway's, maybe we can have coffee later," Mahathir joked with journalists when asked if he could comment on political matters.
After briefly addressing the PCA issue after the press conference, he was whisked away.
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