KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has filed a suit to stop the operation of the National Security Council Act (NSC) on grounds that it is unconstitutional.

He named the Malaysian government and the National Security Council as respondents in his originating summons filed at the High Court civil registry on Tuesday (Aug 2).

Anwar, de facto leader of opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), is currently serving a five-year jail term for sodomy at the Sungai Buloh prison.

The suit was filed through his lawyers N.Surendran, R.Sivarasa and Latheefa Koya.

The new NSC Act, which came into force on Monday, gives Prime Minister Najib Razak sweeping security powers. It allows Mr Najib to designate any area as a "security area", where he can deploy forces to search any individual, vehicle or premises without a warrant. Officials may also declare an area a "security area" and disallow protests there.

The powers also allow investigators to dispense with formal inquests into killings by the police or armed forces in those areas.