
Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail says Sosma has always been intended for offences against the state and terrorism offences, not to suppress political dissent. – The Malaysian Inider pic by Wan Asraf, November 3, 2015.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) 2012 was not introduced to suppress political freedoms, says Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail.
“Sosma was introduced to deal with terrorism and other security offences. It was not intended to guillotine parliamentary democracy or suppress political freedom,” he said at the Malaysian Bar Council’s “Sosma – Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” forum here.
The former Attorney-General, who read from the Hansard record of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s speech in Parliament when Sosma was tabled, added in his speech at the forum that Sosma was clearly enacted to deal with terrorism and terrorist acts.
“Sosma was drafted for procedural matters. The detention powers are only for investigation purposes,” said Abdul Gani.
He, however, declined to comment on the detention of former Batu Kawan Umno vice-chief Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan and his lawyer Matthias Chang under the Act. Read more