Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has launched a broadside on former Election Commission (EC) chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman over the latter’s remarks against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

He said Rashid, who is now the vice-president of Malay rights movement Perkasa, should have raised the issue when he was still serving.

"Why didn't he say these things when he was in the government?

"He (Rashid) asked for something and didn’t get it. Write that (in your report)," he told reporters.

However, the home minister did not elaborate on what is it that the ex-EC chief had asked for.

Speaking at the Perkasa annual meet yesterday, Rashid had called on Najib to "stop lying to the people".

On a separate matter, Zahid said the draft of the mooted new anti-terror law would be presented to the cabinet early next year.

"The legal division of the Home Ministry is in the process of preparing a draft before it is discussed in detail with the attorney-general and then presented to the cabinet before it is brought to Parliament.

"The Dewan Rakyat sitting will be in March, so it will be presented to the Cabinet before that, perhaps at the end of February,” he said.

Zahid said the Home Ministry is presently consulting anti-crime NGOs on the draft law.

Meanwhile, he said the police is working with its Australian counterpart to obtain information about the hostage situation in Sydney.

He added that the government would enforce existing laws to curb any terrorism activities in the country.

"We will not compromise with any individual or organisation which promotes terrorism, be it directly or indirectly," he said.

Also present was Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar who said the Sydney incident perpetrated by militants was a reminder that Malaysia had to be prepared to deal with similar situations here.

However, he assured that the police antI-terrorism capability is sufficient for now.

"It is enough to deal with the Islamic State threat and terrorism," he said.