KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The proposed Prevention of Terrorism Act will not be used for political means, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He also gave the assurance that the law, which is coming up for debate in Parliament, will be used only to detain terror suspects and prevent the spread of violent extremism.

"The power to detain will not be held by any member of the administration," he said at the 208th anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Police on Wednesday. "We will ensure that only those who posed a credible threat will be detained under the new act."

Mr Najib vowed that the government will use all its resources to ensure that no terror attacks occurred in the country.

"I am confident the police will be up to the task in ensuring the country's safety and security," he said. "The police should be praised for their sacrifices in protecting our country, thus those who spread lies and even threaten are deemed very irresponsible."