King should wield ‘jurisdictional immunity’ power, not PM, say Opposition leaders

KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition leaders have expressed concern that the Jurisdictional Immunity for Foreign States Bill gives the Prime Minister too much power, which should instead be wielded by the King.

They questioned the power that will be given to the Prime Minister to exempt foreign countries from the law after comparing its provisions to similar laws of other countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore.

Kota Baru MP Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (pic) claimed that MPs, especially those from Perikatan Nasional, were only called for a briefing about the Bill on Monday (March 18).

“In countries like the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore, the Prime Minister is not given the power of exemption.

“We question why this is so in Malaysia; where the Prime Minister will also chair the council of immunity for foreign states. Why?

“We recommend that it should be the head of state, who is the King, who should be given this power,” he said at the Parliament media centre on Tuesday (March 19).

Takiyuddin added that the Bill, when tabled, also did not touch on the exemption.

He said the Prime Minister should consult with the King of Malaysia before granting exemptions.

Exemptions, he added, should not be given arbitrarily and that improvements should be made to the law to ensure a fair and balanced approach.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (PN-Larut), said Perikatan had no intention to reject the Bill, which was important and critical to the country but it was crucial to have checks and balances.

“This Bill will give the Prime Minister power to exempt countries from this law as he likes,” he said, adding that there was room for the Bill to be improved.

“We don’t want our Prime Minister to one day be pressured by a foreign superpower,” he said.

Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal also said that doubts raised by MPs during its tabling were not addressed properly, including the definition of “foreign states.”

He claimed that the law could be exploited to provide immunity for subversive activities, espionage and other threats to national security.

“We have seen in our country’s history the assassination of Kim Jong-nam and cyber attacks, reasons why such concerns are valid.

“We will fight to make the necessary changes for the well-being of the nation,” he said.

The Jurisdictional Immunity for Foreign States Bill aims to regulate the immunity conferred upon a foreign state and its property.

According to the Bill, Clause 30 grants the prime minister the authority to revoke any or all immunities extended to foreign countries if Malaysia does not receive reciprocal immunity under the proposed Act.

Clause 32 empowers the Prime Minister to exempt any foreign country from specific provisions of the Act, with the authority to impose necessary or expedient conditions or restrictions as deemed fit.