(Oct 12): Putrajaya should arrest opposition politicians under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, if attempts to remove the government are criminal, says Tan Sri Sanusi Junid.

The former minister today said Putrajaya's actions gave an impression that attempting to remove Najib, and not the government itself, was the crime.

“I have been observing this issue. When someone tries to remove the prime minister, it becomes terrorism or sabotage,” he said.

Sanusi was speaking at a press conference with other veteran Barisan Nasional leaders condemning the use of the act to detain lawyer Matthias Chang and former Umno leader Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan, both vocal critics of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

“They think trying to topple the prime minister is more dangerous than trying to topple the government,” he added.

Also present at the press conference were former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, former minister of rural and regional development Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, former MCA president Ong Tee Keat and former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Sanusi at the press conference said the charge against Chang and Khairuddin did not make sense.

“Alleging two people who are not that rich, and have debts, with trying to sabotage the economy and the banking system does not make any sense,” he said.

Chang and Khairuddin were charged with economic sabotage earlier today.

They were accused of committing the offence in France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Singapore, between June 28 and Aug 26 this year?.

Their conviction under the Penal Code carries a prison term of up to 15 years, but procedures under Sosma will be used instead of the Evidence Act 1950 as this is not considered a normal criminal proceeding. – The Malaysian Insider