BN is all talk, says Guan Eng after NSC Bill passed

Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng says the National Security Council Bill should have provided for heads of state governments to give consent to areas in their state being declared a security zone, or for the menteris besars and chief ministers to also be part of the council. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, December 23, 2015.DAP today expressed regret that the National Security Council (NSC) Bill 2015 was passed by the Senate last night, despite the Bill being opposed by some Barisan Nasional parties.

Its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said it was disappointing that despite the objections, many still voted in favour of the Bill.

"It shows that the BN parties are just all talk but they are not serious.

"They are not responsible and they do not care about human rights. 'Tau main-main saja' (they just know how to fool around), even on a matter as serious as this Bill," he told reporters in Penang today.

The controversial bill was passed without any amendments last night, leaving it now to the King to give his royal assent before it becomes law.

The new bill will allow a new National Security Council, chaired by the prime minister, to declare security zones, one step below emergency which is under the King's responsibility. Once an area is declared a security zone, arrests can be made without warrant.

It was reportedly criticised, not only by opposition politicians but also civil society groups. It was reported that during debates in the Dewan Negara, senators from BN also voiced their concerns about the Bill and urged the government to make amendments.

Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, said for something so important, consent from heads of state governments should have been provided for in the bill or they should have been made members of the council.

He said Sabah and Sarawak, states with autonomy, should had been consulted as well.

"They can do as they want. With this bill, they can just move a person from Penang to Johor if they want to.

"It is a travesty of justice. We will continue to pursue it," he said.

- TMI