What?! More new Detentions

Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) is astonished to learn of the latest arrest under the infamous Internal Security Act (ISA) in the midst of Government’s talks about reviewing the Act. According to the information received, Sulaiman Bin Bukhari, Latif Bin Omar and Samsudin (full name was not able to be obtained) were arrested under the ISA on 25th June 2009 at Ulu Tiram, Johor Bahru. They were alleged to be members of Jemaah Islamiyaah (JI). GMI calls on the government to verify this latest arrest.

If the information received by GMI is true then we completely condemn the arrest and demand for the detainees to be put on trial or released immediately. If the information is true, it is ashamed that the government is again practising double standards and double talks in issues related to ISA. On one hand, review of ISA and releases of detainees were announced in April and May but on the other hand, new detention were carried out and mind you, discretely at that as no announcements were made.

GMI finds it astonishing that the arrests were made on the same day (25th June) the Home Minister mentioned in Parliament of the government’s “plans” to review the draconian ISA. He also mentioned that there were 12 people serving detention orders under ISA. The secrecy and unscrupulous practice that surrounds the use of ISA goes against the principles of justice, truth and transparency. It again exhibited the true colour of the ISA, which is extremely arbitrary and has nothing to do with national security. It has further confirmed that the ISA is only a political tool to silence dissidents and critics of the government. We demand the government to release them immediately or charge them in open court.

GMI urges the people of Malaysia to demand for the release of all ISA detainees and abolish the ISA once and for all. We would like to invite all the concerned citizens of all races, religion and culture to come and join us in the Abolish ISA Rally on the 1st of August 2009 in Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with 49th year’s existence of ISA. Lets us fight for our rights and for a better Malaysia without the ISA which allows detention without trial.