Ayob said national security should come first over human rights and that such laws are required to curb acts of terrorism.
DAP’s Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh has criticised Deputy Inspector-General of Police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay for defending the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), calling the senior officer’s remarks “misconceived”.
Ramkarpal said Ayob’s support for the law “ignores” that it is being used against ordinary citizens, resulting in serious rights violations.
“(Ayob) said national security should come first over human rights and that such laws are required to curb acts of terrorism. There can be no doubt that national security is a priority, but there are indications that Sosma has been abused against ordinary citizens, which is one of the reasons there have been growing calls for it to be repealed,” the former deputy law minister said in a statement today.
Yesterday, Ayob wrote on Facebook that calls to abolish the Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) and Sosma should be rejected, arguing that human rights must be balanced with national peace and security. The ISA was repealed in 2012, with Sosma introduced as part of a new security framework.
“Don’t be so fixated or ‘obsessed’ with ‘human rights’ (to the point that) national security is sidelined. Don’t have regrets only after a large-scale terrorist attack, like those in neighbouring countries or internationally, instead happens (here),” Ayob warned. “The Special Branch managed to foil attacks because Malaysia had the ISA. There’s no use for regret after an attack has happened and innocent lives are lost.”
His post also marked the 24th anniversary of the police’s Special Branch operation against the Jemaah Islamiah group on 9 December 2001, which uncovered a militant network linked to Al-Qaeda planning attacks in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia.
Last week, Ramkarpal urged for Sosma to be abolished or at least amended to remove “various draconian features”. His call was supported by DAP’s RSN Rayer, who said the government must “walk the talk” on Pakatan Harapan’s “overdue” promise to abolish draconian laws.
Reiterating his stance, Ramkarpal, who chairs DAP’s legal bureau, said Harapan can no longer delay its commitment to repeal Sosma or amend disputed provisions.
“Statistics during my time as deputy law and institutional reform minister showed that the majority of those charged for Sosma-related offences between 2019 and June 2023 chose to plead guilty due to the long wait for trial dates, since bail is limited in such cases under Section 13 of Sosma.
“Other draconian aspects of Sosma include allowing the police to detain suspects for up to 28 days without obtaining a remand order from the court, thereby preventing judicial oversight of the remand process (Section 4(5)) and the mandatory remand of those acquitted upon an application by the public prosecutor (Section 30),” he said.
On 3 December, a parliamentary special select committee (PSSC) proposed several amendments to Sosma after engagements with stakeholders. PKR MP William Leong, who chairs the PSSC on Human Rights, Election, and Institutional Reform, said the committee’s eight strategic proposals aim to improve the Act’s implementation.
He cautioned, however, that any amendments must be considered carefully to avoid undermining national security, and said the Home Ministry should set a shorter timeline to implement changes so that reforms can proceed transparently and in phases.