KUCHING: An academic opined that Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) should be retained.
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) political analyst Dick Lembang Dugun said the act is crucial to counter any terrorism or curb its elements.
Dick echoed the view by Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who believed that the laws to combat terrorism in the nation should be in place.
“We still need Sosma in light of what has been happening around the world recently, as well as locally. If we don’t have Sosma, the perpetrators will be free from the law and can cause danger to the country,” Muhyiddin said on Wednesday.
Dick however said that Sosma should not be used as a weapon for political control by the current government.
“As the government that leads a new era in Malaysia, they should not use it for political approaches, similar to their predecessors.”
Dick recalled that the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government thwarted their detractors through the Internal Security Act 1960 and Official Secrets Act 1972.
“Sosma is also needed to cope with the current trend of extremism among the people which can threaten the harmony in our country,” he said when contacted by New Sarawak Tribune yesterday.
“As long as it is used for the right purpose and not for political control of the opposition, it should be retained,” he stressed.
