Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced late last night that the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (Pota) officially has come into effect, from Sept 1.

Zahid said the enforcement of Pota was in line with the tabling of the White Paper by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on Nov 26, 2014, titled ‘Towards Handling the Threat of the Islamic State Militant Group’, in the Dewan Rakyat.

Zahid, who is also home minister, said subsequently, the government had tabled the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (Act 769) in Parliament during its March 2015 session, which could be enforced by the authorities in ensuring that no individual escaped from any legal action if they were involved in acts of violence.

"Act 769 had received the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on May 28, 2015, and had come into force officially on Sept 1, 2015," he said in a statement released in Kuala Lumpur last night.

Zahid said that in formulating the Act, a new law was also drafted, besides several amendments made to four existing Acts.

He said it was aimed at ensuring the law was really solid and comprehensive so that these elements did not escape legal action.

Zahid said the Special Measures Against Terrorism in Foreign Countries (SMATA, Act 770) was a new law which provided for the director-general of Immigration to suspend or cancel the travel documents issued to Malaysian citizens who were involved in terrorist organisations listed in foreign countries or parts of foreign countries.

The home minister is also empowered to issue an order demanding travel documents of a person who is not a Malaysian citizen and involved with terrorists of a foreign country to be handed to the police and detained 14 days for the investigation process.

Zahid said the four amendments were: the Penal Code (Amendment) 2015; Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) (Amendment) 2015, the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca) (Amendment) 2015; and the Prisons Act 2015.

"The Special Measures Against Terrorism in Foreign Countries (SMATA), the Penal Code (Amendment) 2015 and the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) (Amendment) 2015 was enforced on June 15, 2015," he said.

Pota was enforced together with the Crime Prevention Act (Amendment) 2015 and the Prisons Act (Amendment) (No 2) 2015 on Sept 1, 2015, Zahid added.

- Bernama