Government will never apologise for prioritising Malaysians' safety - PM

The government will never apologise for placing safety and security of the Malaysian people first, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today.

He said that was why the government had passed the Security Offences (Special Measures Act) or Sosma, the Special Measures against Terrorism in Foreign Countries Act, the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the National Security Council Act.

Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, said these laws were necessary and had aided the authorities in monitoring possible terrorists and Daish sympathisers, and other countries had since been following Malaysia's lead.

"We were criticised for passing some of these laws. But my government will never apologise for placing the security and safety of the Malaysian people first.

"In our region, Jakarta was hit in January and I have said repeatedly that we are far from immune to this danger in Malaysia," he said at the opening of the 36th ASEAN Police Chiefs Conference 2016, themed 'A Greater Nexus For A Safer Community' here.

Also present was Inspector General of Police and chairman of the 36th Aseanapol Conference, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

Offering his wholehearted thanks to the police and security forces, the prime minister said the latest spate of terror-related incidents around the world was proof that terrorism was, if anything, an even greater threat than it had been in the past.

"Unfortunately, no precautions can ensure that terrorist acts can never occur on Malaysian soil, and in the attack on the Movida club in Puchong last month, Daish managed to perpetrate its first outrage in our country.

"Although eight people were injured, we were thankful that no one was killed," he said.

READ: Two men plead guilty in Puchong club blast

In regard to this, the premier assured that the government would continue to take all the necessary measures while the security forces are on a heightened state of alert.

"Daish and its cruel, twisted ideology have no place in our peaceful, diverse, tolerant country nor in our region.

"So as never before, now it is time for us to unite and play an even greater part alongside the world community in the global fight against terrorism," he said.

The prime minister noted that Malaysia had initiated the establishment of the Regional Digital Counter-Messaging Communications Centre, which will synchronise efforts in ASEAN and beyond.

"It is vital that this centre utilise the studies that illustrate why there is nothing at all 'Islamic' about the state that shamefully declares itself as such," he said.

Furthermore, he pointed out that the digital media was the new battle ground to combat violent extremism to ensure that the message which the centre put out was solid, persuasive and real.

"Digital media is the new frontier on which much of this war must be fought. Its centrality to our efforts cannot be overestimated and we must seize the opportunity to convince the world that Muslims have nothing to do with the ideology of hatred and destruction," he added.

On the conference, the prime minister hoped it would serve as an useful platform for the sharing of both expertise and experience, in all aspects of our common security, to protect 625 million Asean citizens.