New anti-terror law is ISA ‘reincarnated’, say Pakatan leaders

Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad, PAS's Kuala Terengganu MP, doubts that the new anti-terror law would not be used against critics of the government as was the case with ISA. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, March 30, 2015.

The Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (Pota) tabled in Parliament today is just a "reincarnation" of the defunct Internal Security Act (ISA), Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders say.

Kuala Terengganu MP Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad raised concerns over the fairness in the enforcement of the new law, and said the assurances to politicians so far were meaningless as it could be used against critics of the government.

Putrajaya today tabled Pota and the Special Measures Against Terrorism in Foreign Countries Bill, as well as five amendments to existing laws to curb terrorist threats in the country.

"During the ISA, in the era of Tun Abdul Razak, he assured ISA would not be used against political rivals, but did it have any meaning?" asked Raja Kamarul outside the Parliament today, after Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi tabled the bills for first reading.

"A long time ago, when the ISA was approved, such a guarantee was given by the prime minister, not an ordinary minister (Zahid)," he said.

- TMI