Amid criticism from within Pakatan Harapan, Dr Mahathir Mohamad defended the police's move to use the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) to detain those accused of having links with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The prime minister said the police had no choice but to use Sosma, which allows for suspects to be detained without trial for 28 days, in the absence of other laws...