Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has defended the newly-passed National Security Council (NSC) bill, insisting that it was enacted to keep the country safe.

"This new law is to keep the people of Malaysia safe.

"That is all I'm doing because we cannot take this (national security) lightly. For example, there is the threat from certain groups in southern Philippines," Najib said in a joint interview with TV3 , Utusan Malaysia and New Straits Times last night.

The NSC bill is a proactive step taken to prevent something like the 2013 Lahad Datu incursion by Sulu militants from happening again, he added.

His duty as the prime minister is to prevent any terrorist threat to the country through whatever means he can use, he explained, citing the examples of the recent shooting in California and the Paris attacks.

"In Malaysia, (those things) don't happen because we are taking proactive steps. This is what I prioritise.

"Do not let any terrorism incidents occur, because the consequences would be dire," he said.

Reforms ongoing

Najib also rubbished claims that he is no longer the reformist that foreign media had made him out to be, saying that his reforms are still ongoing.

"There are still proceeding and we are expecting a lot to make our country more democratic and open, such as the repealing of the Internal Security Act (ISA)," he said.

The NSC bill was tabled last Wednesday and pushed through Parliament on Thursday, the last day of the Dewan Rakyat sitting for the year.

The Act allows the prime minister, acting in his capacity as NSC chief, to declare an area a security area for up to six months.

It also gives security personnel extensive powers to enforce the law and they are protected from any legal proceedings resulting from their actions.