IGP: NSC Act not for fighting crime, terrorism

Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said the National Security Council (NSC) Act will not be used to fight crime or militant group Islamic State (IS).

This is because enforcement authorities have enough laws to manage crime, he said.

"The NSC Act will only be used in matters related to national security.

"We have enough laws to tackle crime, we do not need the NSC Act (for that)," he said when met at Shah Alam.

He added that police will rely on the Prevention of Crime Act 1959, the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 and the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 to manage the threat of IS.

When asked if the police would wield the NSC Act throughout 'Ops Cantas' - an operation to tackle gangsterism - Khalid said no.

"No. The NSC Act has nothing to do with this police duty," he said.

The NSC Act came into force yesterday, after being passed by both Houses of Parliament in December last year.

Critics have expressed concern that the wide powers granted to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak may be abused for purposes other than security matters.

Arrest warrant against Ananda Krishnan

On another matter, Khalid said India must serve its warrant of arrest against Malaysia tycoon Ananda Krishnan and Astro official Ralph Marshall through Malaysia's courts.

This is because Malaysia does not have an agreement with India that would allow it to execute the latter's arrest warrants, he said.

Khalid said this when asked if the police had been notified of the arrest warrants that an Indian court had issued against the duo.

He said the police had not received any information on the matter, and stressed that it pertained to a civil suit.

"If India wanted their warrant served here, they have to apply through our court.

"The court will see if there is ground that we should arrest whoever they want us to arrest, the court will then direct us to do whatever (is needed)," he said.

It was reported that India’s Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) has applied to a special CBI court for arrest warrants against Ananda and Marshall.

CBI also sought warrants against Maxis Communication Berhad and Astro All Asia Network PLC, reported The New Indian Express.

They are alleged to be involved in the Aircel-Maxis money laundering case, which involved India's ex-Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran.

The arrest warrants were sought as the summons for examining them had not been served. - Malaysiakini