Curbing military movement with ISA is not guaranteed - Rahim Noor

The Internal Security Act (ISA) will not curb militant movement in this country, said former Inspector General Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor.

“My opinion is that with ISA or not, movements like this (militant) will always be there,” he said after attending the second meeting of the National Unity Front on Sunday.

He also believed that the Security Offences (Special Measures) 2012, or Sosma, is not as strong as the ISA in curbing the militants in the country.

Abdul Rahim said, Sosma only allows authorities to detain individuals suspected of participating in activities that violate national security.

He said that, in contrast to Sosma, ISA allows authorities to monitor all movements and not just certain individuals.

“ISA will not only detain individuals but it will encompass the rest of the movement, which means everybody involved will be monitored and detained,” he said.

Sosma was approved by the Dewan Rakyat on April 17, 2012, and enacted on June 22, 2012.

Abdul Rahim is of the opinion that the government should consider an act similar to the ISA.

“I have discussed this before with with some members of the National Unity Front and majority agreed that the ISA should be reenacted,” he said.

Last week, 9 militants between 22 to 55 years old were arrested in several raids in Kedah and Selangor.

Inspector General, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said they were arrested because it was believed they were involved in militant activities to assist rebels in Syria.