DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang calls on all lawmakers, including those from the BN, to foil Putrajaya's bid to secure a five-year extension to the preventive detention powers of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) 2016.
The specific provision which must be renewed every five years, allows police to arbitrarily detain a person for up to 28 days for investigation and even deny legal representation.
Lim said the abuse of such powers in the detention of Bersih chairperson Maria Chin, is "vengeful, vicious, vindictive" and grounds enough for all to see that such powers are open to abuse, has been abused, and probably will be again.
"All MPs, including those from BN, should reject such a five-year extension for such pernicious police powers," he said in a statement.