THE national security policy 2021-2025 introduced in 2017 has been reviewed to ensure that all the primary strategies are suitable in confronting the current form of security threats, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

The prime minister, who is also chairman of the National Security Council, said the latest version of the policy has taken into account the threats of Covid-19 and all strategies to tackle it.

“The spread of Covid-19 on a global scale since March 2020 also posed a different threat to the country and the council in particular,” he said in a speech in conjunction with the council’s golden jubilee celebration today.

Muhyiddin said the new approach introduced by the council also encompassed the concept of comprehensive security (comsec), which is a new doctrine to replace the concept of comprehensive defence, combining the elements of internal security, defence, public order, political, economic, social, public health and environment.

“To implement the concept, all levels of administration and members of the general public need to work together and mobilise their energy and efforts to shoulder the responsibility,” he said.

The prime minister said the council, which was established on July 7, 1971, following the May 13 race riots in 1969, has recorded various achievements through its power to co-ordinate ministries, departments and agencies in managing complex issues.

He said the council played a leading role in security management at federal and state level to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity, and inadvertently defend the country’s interests on land, maritime and airspace as well as cyberspace.

Muhyiddin said the country is facing various forms of new threats, either posed by state or non-state actors through a traditional and non-traditional approach and the council, together with other security agencies, must be able to handle those threats efficiently and effectively.

“Any issue or problem relating to security must always be at a minimum level so as not to jeopardise the lives of the people.

“This is where the council plays a vital role in leading the management of national security while remaining behind the scenes. A silent strategist, a silent thinker, a silent doer,” he said.

Muhyiddin added that through the council, the government had successfully dealt with the intrusion in Lahad Datu, Sabah, co-ordinated the evacuation of Malaysians abroad during the Arab Spring and led the peace talks in Southern Thailand and Mindanao. – Bernama, July 13, 2021.