KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim gave an assurance today that elections can still proceed in areas that have been marked as security zones under the National Security Council (NSC) Bill.

He said the declaration of a “security area” under Clause 18 of the NSC Bill 2015 does not equate an emergency declaration under Article 150 of the Federal Constitution.

“Therefore, the [security zone] declaration will not obstruct any election from being held in the vicinity.

“It will also not affect any political party’s effort to carry out their campaigns for any election,” he said in a written reply to Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh.

Shahidan said that the declaration of a security area is so the authorities can take preventive measures against any threat within the designated zone.

“Daily activities can still go on as normal  and  will not be affected owing to the security area declaration,” he added.

Fuziah had asked the prime minister to state if elections can be held in areas declared as security zones by the National Security Council (NSC).

The NSC Bill 2015, which was tabled by Shahidan in the Dewan Rakyat last December, proposes to allow the council — chaired by the prime minister — to take command of the country’s security forces and impose strict policing of areas deemed to face security risks.

According to the Bill, the NSC’s jurisdiction takes effect once the prime minister designates a location as a “security area” — a status that is valid for six months at a time, subject to renewal by the prime minister.

Once the NSC takes over control of a security area, security forces will have the right to search or arrest without warrant any individual “found committing, alleged to have committed, or reasonably suspected of having committed any offence under written laws in the security area”.

The Bill also seeks to empower security forces to arrest without warrant and take action against those who do not abide by an evacuation order from a security area, and also carry out searches of any vehicle or premise within the security area without a warrant.

The Bill was passed last December 22 despite concern that the law could be abused by Putrajaya.

Most of the criticism levelled against the Bill throughout the debate focused on concerns that the law would empower the prime minister to declare a state of emergency without needing to seek the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.