KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Apr 10 (AP/UNB) - Malaysia's government has introduced legislation to prevent suspects from being detained indefinitely without trial.

The Security Offenses Bill presented to Parliament's lower house is meant to a replace a British colonial-era law that provides for the imprisonment without trial of people regarded as threats to national security.

Rights groups have long accused authorities of using security laws to stifle dissent.

In recent years, detention without trial has been invoked mainly against militant suspects, but there have been earlier cases in which opposition leaders and others who criticized the government were held for months.

The new bill tabled Tuesday for parliamentary debate would limit security detentions without charge to 28 days. The bill is expected to approved next week.