The moves have come under criticism as they are seen as being merely tools to silence opponents, according to a report in the Nikkei Asian Review (NAR).
Malaysia on Aug 1 instituted the National Security Council Act, expanding the authority of the military and police.
The security council, chaired by the Prime Minister, is empowered to declare a state of emergency anywhere in the country without parliament deliberation. Under such a declaration, security forces can search houses and make arrests without a warrant.
In June, Malaysia became the target of an attack claimed by the Islamic State for the first time.
The Prime Minister said the new law was a response to terrorist threats, but, according to the NAR report, he has also been stepping up suppression of critics who are railing against alleged funding improprieties involving him.
“There is good reason to fear that the Act will be yet another tool in the hands of the government to crack down on peaceful protests under the guise of national security,” NAR quoted Josef Benedict, deputy director of Amnesty International’s South East Asia and Pacific regional office as saying in a statement.
In military-ruled Thailand, the new draft of a Constitution, a prerequisite to a general election, was approved in an Aug 7 referendum.
Since a terrorist attack in Bangkok a year ago, the military government has stepped up censorship. Before the referendum, the government suspended broadcasting by television stations critical of the military regime. And for the time being, the assembly of five or more people remained prohibited, said the NAR report.
Until a civilian government returns to power, iron-fist control could continue, including arrest without a warrant. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has said that at least 1,629 civilians in Thailand have been court-martialled.
In Indonesia, the government has submitted a bill to parliament to expand policing powers following a January attack in Jakarta by perpetrators said to be affiliated with the Islamic State. According to the NAR report, the bill focuses on enabling authorities to detain those suspected of terrorist involvement for longer periods.
Many Indonesians still have memories of authorities kidnapping and killing anti-government activists under the 30-year-plus dictatorship of Suharto, spurring protests against the new bill.
As Southeast Asia is increasingly targeted by terrorists, governments indeed are under pressure to respond. But they also seem to be using the opportunity to tighten their grip on power, according to the NAR report.
The report noted that despite the arrest of 11,000 people – including many critics of the government – in June in Bangladesh for suspected involvement in terrorism, an upscale restaurant in Dhaka was attacked in July by terrorists targeting foreigners.
The NAR report said Southeast Asia had a history of putting economic development ahead of democratic rules. The region’s economies grew sharply as a result, but at the expense of human rights, and wealth ended up in the hands of a select few.
This, the report noted, had driven gifted talent out of these countries. There is also the danger that it will drive away foreign investment.