The police are not as worried about losing power to arrest suspects than they are about being able to maintain public order with the proposed review of security laws, says Penang police chief A Thaiveegan.

Met in Seberang Jaya last night, Thaiveegan said the decision to abolish or review laws is the prerogative of the government of the day, but admitted such laws helped with police work.

"Such laws facilitated police work in keeping peace and harmony. If they remove these laws, we have to find some other way to maintain the same peace and harmony," he said after attending the wedding of Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy's son.

Thaiveegan was responding to the Pakatan Harapan government's stated plan to review several laws deemed oppressive, as they allow for detention without trial or prohibit bail.

In May, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that seven of these "unsuitable" laws would be studied for review, including the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, Sedition Act 1948, Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (Poca), Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (Pota), and the mandatory death sentence.

The laws are up for review in the coming parliamentary session, which begins tomorrow.

Stressing that he is not defending such acts, Thaiveegan said the police had basis to use such laws to help control "violence, crimes, gangsters, criminals and syndicates."

"Laws are to protect law-abiding citizens. These are good people, and they need to be protected," he added.

Thaiveegan also advised the public to ensure their family members do not engage with the police force "head on or be at loggerheads" with the police.

"Would we appreciate a country that does not have criminal laws? That is the dream of every country, where everyone follows the rules and regulations.

"The police are mere enforcers of the law, and once the government passes a law, there is no question, we have to enforce it, without fear or favour," he said.

Include human rights provisions

Thaiveegan suggested that existing laws deemed oppressive by certain quarters could be reviewed to include human rights provisions.

"It all depends on the parliamentarians. They make the changes, we follow. Everyone should play their role," he said.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Penang chapter of the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation, K Pulayantran, said the issue of retaining or abolishing such laws were a "sensitive matter."

"They should be reviewed, especially for those (whose victims) have been detained for 30 or 40 years.

"What if their characters have changed for the better? If we cannot abolish such laws totally, we must review it carefully.

"Laws must be there to protect the country and citizens. Without laws, crime increases," Pulayantran said.