Passing of NSC Bill slammed

> Critics cite insufficient deliberation and lack of clarity in wording, among others

PETALING JAYA: Despite assurances by the government that the National Security Council (NSC) Bill 2015 – passed by the Dewan Negara on Tuesday – is strictly meant to preserve national security and will not be used to stifle the Opposition or civil societies, non-governmental organisations and those from the other side of the political divide have expressed reservations.

Centre for Public Policy Studies chairman Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam told the Sun it was a pity that such a critical and sensitive legislation which could potentially violate human rights went through Parliament “with such haste”.

But now that the legislation has been passed, he said it should be administered with great caution and under very demanding circumstances only.

Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah said the legislation should not have gone through due to certain unclear words in the bill itself.

“For example, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim claimed that the power to declare a state of emergency is still in the hands of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as Clause 18 of the bill only empowers the prime minister to declare an area as a national security zone.

“They have cleverly avoided the word emergency and replaced it with national security area which is equivalent to declaring an emergency,” she said.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, in his blog, said the Cabinet should establish a special committee comprising parliamentarians from both sides to propose new amendments to the NSC Bill, which can be presented to the Special Parliament which will be convened at the end of January.

Parti Amanah Negara Youth chief Sany Hamzan said the party is mulling the option of challenging the bill’s legitimacy in court.

The recently formed opposition party also called on the Council of Malay Rulers to reject the legislation.