Despite the government's assurance that the newly-passed National Security Council (NSC) Bill will not be abused, a coalition of civil society groups said today Malaysia will move towards becoming a dictatorship once it is gazetted as law.

Think tank Institut Rakyat executive director Yin Shao Loong said the NSC Bill grants the prime minister with similar powers as accorded to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, under Article 150 of the Federal Constitution, to declare a state of emergency, even though the word is not used in the bill.

"We live in a constitutional monarchy that is based on parliamentary democracy.

"The NSC Bill will transform Malaysia into a ‘presidential dictatorial system’ by concentrating so much power in the hands of one man," Yin ( photo ) told Malaysiakini when met after the launch of the #TakNakDiktator campaign in Petaling Jaya.

The #TakNakDiktator campaign is backed by Institut Rakyat, LFL, Hakam, Amnesty International Malaysia, Bersih 2.0, Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) and Suaram.

It aims to lobby for the withdrawal of the bill in the Senate, after it was hastily passed during the last day of the Dewan Rakyat sitting on Dec 3.

"This campaign is focused on the whole cycle of the legislative process.

"The Bill may have been passed in the Dewan Rakyat but there can still be intervention from Senate and Yang di-Pertuan Agong. It is not over yet," stressed Yin.

National Human Rights Society (Hakam) president Ambiga Sreenevasan, who was present at the launch, said there is still opportunity for Malaysians to put pressure on the Senate "to do the right thing."

"We want to bring the Senate back to life. The senators still have an opportunity to reject this bill that is fundamentally flawed," Ambiga said.

She also noted that it is baffling how the lawmakers could agree to grant so much power to just one man, under guise of the creation of a National Security Council.

'Impossible to take away powers from PM'

"The biggest and most worrying power is that the PM can declare any area as a security zone and any action taken in the area cannot be contested in the court of law.

"They (the ruling BN) say there will be other council members to decide on such matters but they are only playing an advisory role. If Bersih 5 were to take place and the PM wants to declare the area as a security zone, he can easily do that," Ambiga said.

Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen said it would be impossible to take away the powers granted to the prime minister once the bill has been gazetted and enforced as law.

"Once the genie is out of the bottle, it will be very difficult to put it back.

"If the bill is gazetted as law, LFL will consider filing a legal challenge on grounds that it goes against provisions of the Federal Constitution," Paulsen said.

Prime Minister Najib Razak defended the NSC Bill last night, insisting that it was enacted to keep the country safe.

Earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi also insisted that there was no political motive behind the passing of the Bill, and he went on to deny that it gives absolute power to the prime minister.