00:00 Lawyers have dismissed calls for the enactment of a new law to deal with acts of economic sabotage,
00:07 saying existing laws are sufficient to address such matters.
00:11 Hanif Khatri Abdullah said the penal code contains a number of offences
00:16 which already deal with arson and acts of vandalism towards persons, properties and businesses.
00:22 Hanif also said existing civil laws, especially in the area of tort,
00:28 offer aggrieved parties avenues to seek financial and other forms of relief from saboteurs.
00:35 He said having laws passed one after another without knowing how to effectively implement them
00:41 serves no purpose and would be a waste of time.
00:44 Previously, the Small and Medium Enterprises Association proposed the enactment of an economic sabotage act
00:51 to deal with actions by individuals and groups, including politicians,
00:55 designed to cause damage to the economy such as the resale and monopolization of government contracts.
01:01 Samantha President William Ng said it could also be tailored to include criminalizing actions
01:07 designed to sabotage businesses, especially in light of recent arson attacks
01:12 and organized boycotts targeting private enterprises.
01:15 Meanwhile, lawyer Rafiq Rashid Ali warned against penalizing those who promote the boycott of businesses,
01:21 saying it would infringe upon the public's right to stage peaceful protests.
01:26 (upbeat music)
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