Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed said he may be arrested under the National Security Council Act (NSC) if he does not stop lobbying for his successor Najib Abdul Razak's resignation.

He said this is the alternative to what could happen if a referendum is not called to settle the issue of Najib's popularity and the scandals surrounding him.

“ The alternative is to wait for the National Security Council Act to be signed by the Agong or to wait for one month if he doesn’t, when the Act would be enforceable.

“ Then Najib can arrest and detain without trial this pesky ex-prime minister. I am getting messages that this is what awaits me if I don’t cease and desist, (if) I don’t tone down,” he said in a blog post yesterday.

The controversial NSC Bill was passed by Parliament in December last year, but has yet to be gazetted.

If gazetted, the law would allow the NSC chairperson – namely the prime minister – to declare any area a security area and impose emergency-like measures, hence bypassing the normal procedures of declaring an emergency.

Activists have expressed concern that the law is susceptible to abuse, particularly due to it's ill-defined provisions on “national security”.

The Council of Rulers had said that the Bill needs to be 'refined', while attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali has agreed to review it.

The NSC Bill is expected to be re-tabled in Parliament during the current parliamentary sitting, which ends on April 7.