article_snippet.sent: Malaysia has passed a controversial terror law aimed at tackling growing support for Islamic State extremists in the country in a move opponents denounced as a harsh blow for civil rights.
article_snippet.sent: Government-appointed terror board effectively reintroduces the controversial prospect of indefinite detention without trial in Malaysia - something
article_snippet.sent: The terrorism act has heightened worries in Malaysia over a deepening crackdown on civil liberties launched by the government in the wake of a 2013 election setback.
article_snippet.sent: The bill effectively reintroduces the controversial prospect of indefinite detention without trial in Malaysia - something
article_snippet.sent: In particular, The bill has revived concerns of a return to a previous draconian Internal Security Act that allowed detention without trial and was repeatedly used against opposition politicians.
article_snippet.sent: The passage of this law is a giant step backwards for human rights in Malaysia that fundamentally calls into question the government's commitment to basic rights that are critical to the rule of law in a functioning democracy,' Human Rights Watch's deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said. '
article_snippet.sent: The passage of this law raises serious concerns that Malaysia will return to practices of the past when government agents frequently used fear of indefinite detention to intimidate and silence outspoken critics.'