MALAYSIAN Prime Minister Najib Razak is unapologetic over sweeping emergency powers that came into force yesterday.

Under the National Security Council Act, a council led by Mr Najib, who faces pressure to resign over a financial scandal, can declare a state of emergency in areas deemed to be under a security threat.

Security forces can impose curfews and have wide powers of arrest, search and seizure without a warrant.

The law is aimed at countering terrorism threats, but critics, including Amnesty International, fear that Mr Najib will use it as a means of holding on to power.

Amnesty regional deputy director Josef Benedict complained that the law “empowers the Malaysian authorities to trample over human rights and act with impunity.

“With this new law, the government now has spurned checks and assumed potentially abusive powers.”

Mr Najib said: “My government will never apologise for placing the safety and security of the Malaysian people first.”