PUTRAJAYA, July 26 ― There is no need to revive the abolished Internal Security Act (ISA) as the newly legislated security laws are much more effective, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said today.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) said that laws like the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) has made the ISA irrelevant.

“We don't need ISA anymore, we have Poca, Sosma and Poca. I think these combined laws are better than ISA.

“We can forget about ISA, because we are more comfortable now with these new laws. We are confident we can maintain law, peace and order with these laws,” he told reporters during a press conference today after attending the Asean Police (Aseanapol) conference here today.

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The other laws that Khalid was referring to is the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca) and the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act [Sosma].

Despite concerns raised by rights groups that the laws and the National Security Council (NSC) was being used against civilians, Khalid said that the police will make sure that they will not be “misused.”

The police chief however cautioned that any rallies planned by the civil society should follow the country's laws.

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“Well that's what I said, if you want to organise any rally it must be in accordance with the law.

“If you want to try and organise things outside the law, of course you will face the law,” Khalid said.

“I won't say that but we have enough laws to deal with people who doesn't want to obey laws of the country,” he added.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak meanwhile in his speech earlier had said Putrajaya would not apologise for implementing laws like the NSC as it was for national interest despite critics claiming otherwise.

Malaysia’s three law associations — the Malaysian Bar, the Advocates’ Association of Sarawak and the Sabah Law Association — expressed concern last January about the law concentrating “enormous” executive and emergency powers in the NSC and in the prime minister.

The ISA was repealed in 2012.