In new NSC Bill, stiffer penalties for info leak, Agong gets more power

(MMO) – The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government today introduced a new Bill that will empower the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to declare which areas in the country are security hot spots.

Tabled for the first reading in the Dewan Rakyat this morning, the draft to amend Clause 3 of the National Security Council Act (NSC) 2016, also known as Act 776, will transfer the power of declaration currently vested in the prime minister, to the King.

“Clause 3 seeks to amend Section 18 of Act 776 to provide that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may declare any area in Malaysia as a ‘security area’ on the advice of the Council,” read an explanatory statement on the Bill.

The government also proposed amending Section 37 of the same Act to increase the jail term from two to five years on those convicted of leaking security information.