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Internal Security Act 1960

1960–2012 · 20th century

The Internal Security Act 1960 was a Malaysian law allowing detention without trial, introduced at the end of the Malayan Emergency to fight communist insurgency. It let the government hold people for renewable two-year periods and was used against politicians, activists and other opponents, notably in Operation Lalang of 1987. It was repealed in 2012 and replaced by the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act.

Internal Security Act 1960
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APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Internal Security Act 1960. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/internal-security-act-1960
MLA
“Internal Security Act 1960.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/internal-security-act-1960. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Internal Security Act 1960.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/internal-security-act-1960.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Internal Security Act 1960’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/internal-security-act-1960 (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻