KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 — Putrajaya tabled today another law together with the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota), which aims at stopping the rise of Malaysians travelling overseas to take part in terrorist organisations.
The Special Measures Against Terrorism in Foreign Countries Act will empower the Director-General of Immigration to “suspend or revoke” the travel documents of any Malaysian if he or she is believed to be leaving the country to participate in any terrorist activities or organisations overseas.
The proposed law also includes an “extra-territorial application”, which will allow the authorities to order the surrender of a person’s foreign travel documents for up to fourteen days even if the individual is not a Malaysian citizen.
“The special measures under this Act shall apply to any person who travels to Malaysia; or travels or intends to travel to a foreign country or any part of a foreign country from or through Malaysia,” according to a copy of the bill made available to the media.
Malaysians or foreigners who do not comply with directives to surrender their travel documents can be punished with a term of imprisonment which may extend to two years.
On the matter of extra-territorial application, the proposed law states that — “in relation to any person, whatever his nationality or citizenship, have effect outside as well as within Malaysia, and where an offence under this act is committed by any person in any place outside Malaysia, he may be dealt with in respect of such offences as if the offence was committed at any place within Malaysia”.
