KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 — Efforts to strengthen national security must not come at the expense of human rights, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Law and Institutional Reform M. Kulasegaran said.
He said both priorities must advance together through an effective, balanced and forward-looking legal framework.
“The question is not whether the country needs tougher or more lenient laws, but how to develop a legal framework that protects national security without compromising the rule of law and human rights.
“Legal reform had become increasingly important as technology, society and security threats continued to evolve. Reform does not mean existing laws have failed. It is a continuous process of improvement to ensure legislation remains relevant to technological developments, social change and emerging challenges.”
Kulasegaran said this in his keynote address at a symposium on national security-related crimes and the effectiveness of current laws in addressing present and future threats at Parliament House today.
Present were National Security Council director-general Datuk Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin and Dewan Negara Special Select Committee on Law Review chairman Senator Rita Sarimah Patrick Insol.
Kulasegaran said the changing landscape of security threats, which now includes cyber attacks and the misuse of technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), requires the country’s legal framework to be always responsive to current challenges.
However, he said in strengthening national security, every action must remain based on the Federal Constitution, the rule of law and the principles of justice.
“No single institution can confront national security threats alone. National security requires whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches involving the government, Parliament, the private sector, academia, civil society and the public,” he said.
Earlier, Rita Sarimah, in her welcoming speech, said security threats were no longer confined to military matters or border defence, as they now included cybercrime, disinformation, extremism, espionage, foreign interference, attacks on critical infrastructure and the misuse of emerging technologies.
As such, she said the country’s legal framework must evolve with these developments to ensure national security remained protected.
“The question is not whether national security laws must change, but how far those changes should go to keep them relevant, effective and capable of meeting the country’s future needs,” she said.
Rita Sarimah said modern security risks were also shaped by hybrid threats combining physical, digital, economic, psychological and geopolitical elements, which had prompted many countries to review their security laws while preserving democracy, the rule of law and human rights.
She said the Dewan Negara, as the upper house of Parliament, played an important check-and-balance role by scrutinising policies and legislation in a thorough, objective and forward-looking manner.
The Special Select Committee on Law Review, she added, conducted independent, professional and evidence-based reviews of existing laws to identify improvements for the government and Parliament to consider. — Bernama
Date: 5 August, 2026 4:00 pm
Source: Malay Mail
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