Sosma still around, so they used it, says Dr M defending cops

Sosma still around, so they used it, says Dr M defending cops

The prime minister says he is satisfied with police explanation on their crackdown on an alleged plot to revive the Tamil Tigers militant group.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad says the police have to use Sosma as there are no other similar laws to deal with terrorism.
PETALING JAYA:
Dr Mahathir Mohamad has again defended the police’s use of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act against individuals accused of trying to revive Sri Lankan militant group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The prime minister said this was because there were no other relevant laws.

“Well, Sosma is still there, so in the absence of other laws that can be applied, they used Sosma,” he told reporters after officiating an international conference on Industrial Revolution 4.0 here today.

Yesterday, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim said while he supported the police action, Sosma should be amended as the law was too draconian.

Mahathir said he had been briefed by cops on their investigations into about a dozen individuals who were arrested under Sosma.

“They (police) had their reasons, and I am satisfied with their reasons for their actions,” said Mahathir.

The detainees include two DAP assemblymen from Melaka and Negeri Sembilan.

Sosma is one of six laws that the Pakatan Harapan coalition had promised to repeal or amend before the general election last year.

The others are the Sedition Act 1948, the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (Poca), the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (Pota), the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 and the Peaceful Assembly Act.

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