Kuala lumpur: 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 emphasized that both priorities must advance together through an effective, balanced, and forward-looking legal framework.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kulasegaran remarked that 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. He stated that legal reform had become increasingly important as technology, society, and security threats continued to evolve. He clarified that reform does not imply that existing laws have failed but is a continuous process of improvement to ensure legislation remains relevant to technological developments, social change, and emerging challenges.
Kulasegaran made these remarks during 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 at the event 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.
He further elaborated on the changing landscape of security threats, which now includes cyber attacks and the misuse of technology, including artificial intelligence (AI). Kulasegaran stressed that the country's legal framework must remain responsive to current challenges, while every action must be based on the Federal Constitution, the rule of law, and the principles of justice.
Kulasegaran highlighted that no single institution can confront national security threats alone, advocating for whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches involving the government, Parliament, the private sector, academia, civil society, and the public.
Earlier, Senator Rita Sarimah, in her welcoming speech, acknowledged that security threats were no longer confined to military matters or border defense. They now include cybercrime, disinformation, extremism, espionage, foreign interference, attacks on critical infrastructure, and the misuse of emerging technologies. She emphasized that the country's legal framework must evolve with these developments to ensure national security remains protected.
Rita Sarimah noted that modern security risks are shaped by hybrid threats combining physical, digital, economic, psychological, and geopolitical elements. This has prompted many countries to review their security laws while preserving democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. She also highlighted the Dewan Negara's role as the upper house of Parliament in scrutinizing policies and legislation in a thorough, objective, and forward-looking manner.
The Special Select Committee on Law Review, she added, conducts independent, professional, and evidence-based reviews of existing laws to identify improvements for the government and Parliament to consider.