Anti-terror measures allowing the police to secretly intercept all forms of communications, including telephone conversations, have come under attack from a human rights groups today.

"We fear it can be abused without having the court to play the role of protector of citizens' privacy," said Yap Swee Seng, coordinator with rights group Suaram.

Under the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Court being tabled in parliament, police would be given the power to intercept post, telegraphic, telephonic and other communications with the permission of the public prosecutor.

The amendments would also allow authorities to enter any premises and install eavesdropping devices, the New Straits Times newspaper said today.

Police would be allowed to arrest any person without a warrant in the event that there were reasonable grounds to establish that he or she was committing or suspected of committing a terrorism offence.

Law could be abused

Elizabeth Wong, secretary-general of the National Human Rights Society, said her group would launch a public campaign to ensure the amendment does not get passed in parliament.

"Let's be frank, if a terrorists who does not fear death wants to carry out a terror activity, he will not fear telephone tapping," she said.

Wong said the rights group was certain that the law would be abused.

"We must be able to protect our citizens but our fundamental liberties are not negotiable," she said.

Yap said the planned anti-terror legislation could be used by authorities to spy on opposition politicians.

"The police already have so much power at the expense of the constitutional rights of the public," he said.

Malaysia has had no terror attacks on its own soil, but has detained some 90 alleged militants suspected of membership in regional militant groups such as the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah, which was responsible for the 2002 Bali bombing in Indonesia which killed more than 200 people.