KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 — Stringent laws to combat terrorism will benefit Malaysia's tourism industry, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said today.

The Tourism Minister said this will deter terrorists from using Malaysia as a half-way point to travel and join listed terror groups.

"The more stringent Pota is, the better for tourism," Nazri told reporters, using the acronym referring to Putrajaya's proposed Prevention of Terrorism Act.

"They will then know that there is no compromise for fighting the threat of terrorism.

"Pota will not adversely affect tourism," the Umno minister added.

The Prevention of Terrorism Board, which shall comprise between three and six members appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, is empowered to order that terror suspects be detained without trial for two years under Section 13(1), if the board is satisfied with the Inquiry Officer’s report that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that the suspect is engaged in terrorism or supports terrorist acts involving listed terrorist organisations in a foreign country.

The Bill states that no one can be arrested or detained “solely” for their “political belief or political activity”, defined as expressing opinions or acting in a political party registered under the Societies Act 1966, as well as expressing opinions or taking actions against the Malaysian government.

No police officer shall be appointed as the Inquiry Officer, according to the Bill that states that the minister can appoint “any person by name or office” as the Inquiry Officer.

Under Section 13(3), suspects can also be placed under restriction by the police for five years if the Board finds it unnecessary to detain them, with the restriction order extendable from time to time for not more than two years at a time while no time limit is stated.

Electronic monitoring devices will also be attached to those placed under restriction that will be required to reside “within the limits of any state, district, mukim, town or village” specified in the restriction order.

Under the Bill, a registry shall be kept comprising the names of suspects placed under restriction or detention.

Those under the registry can be punished with a jail term of maximum five years, or a fine not more than RM10,000, or both, if they cannot account satisfactorily for their presence when found in any “public place” or in the “neighbourhood of any place of public entertainment” from sunset to sunrise.

Those undergoing detention who are sentenced to imprisonment under the law or any other law shall have their detention, or extended detention, run concurrently with the jail term and upon the end of the imprisonment term, they will continue to be detained if there remains “any unexpired portion” of the detention period.

“Neither the person who is the subject of the inquiry nor a witness at an inquiry shall be represented by an advocate and solicitor at the inquiry except when his own evidence is being taken and recorded by the Inquiry Officer,” reads Section 10(6).

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said earlier this month that the Prevention of Terrorism Act will not be misused and that the law is needed to curb militant activities in the country.