[VogsHoock]

KUANTAN, Malaysia - There is no need to amend the country's defamation laws as the current legislation is sufficient, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

"If the laws are still relevant and appropriate, there is no need for an amendment.

"For laws relating to sodomy, it is the complainant's right to lodge a report.

"However, there is always the element of double standards by certain people," he said after launching an aid programme for fishermen called "Ihsan Samudera" at Tanjung Lumpur here yesterday.

Najib was commenting on a recent statement by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the need to amend laws which he perceived as archaic.

He had been speaking in an interview with BBC.

Najib also criticised the Opposition for practising double standards, adding that the country cannot have two sets of laws, one for the Opposition, and the other for the Government.

He added that these double standards were espoused by those who claimed to uphold democracy but would only allow journalists from selected newspapers to attend their functions.

"If you believe in press freedom, why do you impose restrictions on the media?" he asked.

The Ihsan Semudera programme is supported by 1MDB, Felda Foundation and the Agriculture and Agro-based Ministry.

The programme provides boat engines, nets, safety jackets and GPS gadgets for the fishermen, while their children would receive school uniforms, food baskets and bicycles.