IS Threat Will Make Public Support Prevention Of Terrorism Act - Hishammuddin

LANGKAWI (Kedah, Malaysia), March 6 (Bernama) -- The public will understand the government's intention to introduce a law to prevent terrorism if they realised the extent of threats posed by the so-called IS militant group or their allies. Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the IS threat was not made up and its influence was not confined to Middle-East countries as proof of its presence had already appeared in South-East Asia. "It (the IS threat) is real. It is not something that we made up and has nothing to do with politics. "Moro freedom fighters Nur Misuari and Abu Sayyaf have declared their allegiance to IS and the formation of IS in the Sulu Sea," he told reporters, here Friday. The threat posed by IS was a clear sign for the public not to relate the proposed Prevention Of Terrorism Act (POTA) to politics or associating it to the repealed Internal Security Act (ISA). "Terrorism is a global phenomenon and everyone have to grapple with it. Terrorism has to be contained with a proper law," said Hishammuddin. On Nov 26, 2014, parliament passed a White Paper to combat the IS threat in Syria and Iraq, with the assurance that a new law will be formulated which will stress more on prevention, in addition to eradication of the threat. When tabling the motion for the paper, Prime Minister Najib Razak said the government proposed to enact a new law to eradicate militancy and terrorism in Malaysia. The Prevention of Terrorism Bill would be tabled at the next sitting of the Dewan Rakyat (Lower House of Parliament). --BERNAMA