The inspector-general of police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar's proposal for a return of the abolished Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) is a slap in the face for the prime minister's claim to democratic principles, said DAP.

"The IGP’s statement runs in complete contrary to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s speech yesterday welcoming the Turkish prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan," said DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua in a statement today.

Khalid's position, he said, runs contrary to Najib whom he reported saying, "Where others have fallen away from democratic principles, we share a commitment to both the spirit and the practice of democracy... In the face of demographic and technological change, we look to strengthen our societies and the democracy that they depend on."

Pua noted, "It is also clear that Khalid’s authoritarian and anti-democratic streak will be a major hindrance to Najib’s self-proclaimed ambition to be 'the best democracy in the world'.”

The IGP, he said, is an embarrassment to the country as he appears "only keen on reviving the tools of a police state" in comparison with neighbouring countries like Myanmar, which is moving ahead with democratic reforms.

On Thursday, former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the country was better off reintroducing the draconian act to deal with quarters allegedly issuing insensitive remarks over the 'Allah' row, alluding to the Christians who persisted on using the word in their Malay religious texts as they have done for a century.

'Completely unbecoming of Khalid'

Khalid, when asked yesterday about Mahathir's suggestion, gave it a thumbs up .

"The Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) is enough, but what's wrong with also having the ISA?" Khalid was reported as saying.

Pua, meanwhile, called the IGP's statement "completely unbecoming of the top policeman".

He suggested that Khalid upgrade the police's competency and capability to successfully solve and fight crime, rather than just detaining them indefinitely.

According to Pua ( right ), the IGP must accept Najib’s earlier advice that “now police must train themselves how to look for evidence instead of just catching suspects and chucking them into detention.

“Najib had asked the police to now ‘provide evidence to charge them in court’,” he stressed.

Sarcastically calling Khalid "more at home in a Stalinist or Gestapo regime", the PJ Utara MP said the IGP "must be properly schooled on the concepts of 'rule of law' as opposed to 'rule by law' as he is so inclined today".

He noted that the police and the home minister have "successfully lobbied the Najib administration for a return of detention without trial elements" found in the amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act 2013.

"Malaysians fear that the IGP is once again spearheading a campaign to mark a return of the draconian ISA which has been abused to keep political dissidents under detention without recourse in the judiciary system," Pua added.