PUTRAJAYA: Under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) that is expected to be tabled in parliament in March, the power to detain individuals will lie in the hands of an anti-terrorism board and not the Home Minister.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Zamidi said the final draft of the soon-to-be implemented law is in its final stage of discussion.
"The final draft is not only being discussed with the attorney-general chambers, but we are discussing it with the law makers and authorities, including the police.
"The law will include the preventive security measures that should be taken to combat militant activities in the country," he said after receiving a courtesy call from Japan ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Makio Miyagawa at his office here today.
The call was held to extend a formal invitation for Zahid to visit Japan to discuss on transnational crime and ways to upgrade the nation's surveillance and policing.
Zahid also said POTA will only be used to detain individuals involved in militant activities.
He said measures will be taken to ensure the law is not abused.
Meanwhile, the Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Alwi Ibrahim said the ministry is awaiting word from its counterpart in Philippines on the supposed killing of Malaysian bomb-maker Zulkifli Abdul Hir or Marwan, who had terrorised Southeast Asia for years and trained many militants.
"We are still investigating the case," Alwi said.