LETTER | Covid-19 poses a millennial type of threat to national security

LETTER | The proclamation of the state of emergency by the Yang di-Pertuan Agung drew mixed reactions from the public and politicians to the extent that some politicians had pursued the matter to the court to decide on its legality.

While I am personally not interested to discuss its legality as this is best left to the law experts, allow me to share some academic insights on public health as a national security issue.

The term "national security" is popularly associated with war, cold war, guerilla-type of war, confrontation, espionage, cybersecurity, and perhaps bioterrorism threats. Public health issue may not come under this category.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed our thinking on what constitutes a threat to national security as it can be seen that the disease has caused turmoil to our economic, social, and political situation.

National security can be classified into military and non-military. The former refers to collective and global security including international law, whereas the latter covers politics, economy, energy, homeland security, environmental security, and cybersecurity (Holmes, 2014).

Thus, it is arguable that Covid-19 is an issue of national security. To understand the view that public health is a national security issue, let me give some academic views on this matter. Katz and Singer (2007) opined that "as far as pandemics could lead to destabilisation or disruption of social order, political agitation, and impairment of the economy, they qualify as security concerns".

National Academies Press (2017) remarked that "national security is not just about protection from state and non-state actors, but also encompasses protection from emerging infectious diseases and other health outcomes that can threaten a nation’s economic vitality and its very way of life".

Evans (2010) also shares the same view that "emerging diseases and their pandemic potential pose perhaps an even greater national security threat, particularly in this era of globalisation when the disease can spread more rapidly than in previous eras".

Malaysia has its own National Security Policy, which was formulated in 2013. The NSP highlights the need to preserve its sovereignty, national security, and public order.

The policy also takes cognizance of both international threats and geopolitical climate at the regional and international level.

The NSP mostly deals with national unity, the democratic system, illegal immigrants and refugees, territorial claims, extremism and terrorism, cybersecurity, disasters, crises, transnational crimes, pandemics and infectious diseases, energy security, food security, and nuclear arms.

Next, let us move on to the historical part of national security in Malaysia. In the past, several national security issues arose either through the declaration of a state of emergency or using any existing legal and administrative measures.

Nevertheless, arrests without trial under the Internal Security Act 1960 was in practice until it was abolished during the premiership of Najib Abdul Razak. It was replaced with the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (POTA) to combat terrorism as a source of national security threat to the country.

Covid-19 poses a millennial type of threat to national security. Thus, it is important to draw up legal, public health, and administrative measures to ensure the laws are effective in dealing with this crisis. Therefore in this respect, Covid-19 can be viewed as a national security issue.

NOOR DZUHAIDAH OSMAN is senior lecturer, Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.