Human Rights and the ISA

The Internal Security Act (ISA) was last abolished by our Prime Minister Dato' Seri Najib. I thank him for his bold move.

But when I read the news in The Edge, issue 917, page 60; I feel sad to hear that barbaric methods are being used in interrogating the ISA detainees.

The methods of interrogation is clearly illegal and went against the spirit of human rights.

The authority must investigate this case and clear this issue with the public. Offer an explanation to the public and create a Committee of Inquiry to delve into this matter.

This is certainly a question of image: the image of the government has certainly been tainted if this report is found to be true.

A question lingering in my faculty of mind begs to be answered: if ISA has been abolished, why is it that these detainees are still being held under this expired law?

The thing about ISA is that it gives wide power to the executive to detain those who seem to pose "national threat" to the security of Malaysia. Often, this law is used to bring down political enemies: usually the opposition.

And the detainment is usually a detention without trial in the court of law. And according to the old rules of the ISA, the decision of the minister in putting a person in detention center cannot be questioned in the court of law. Clearly this is a wide power that is akin to God's power of revoking a person's freedom on this beloved planet earth. Which is why, the present government has thankfully abolished this archaic and barbaric law.

To me, a person can be detained if he or she is suspected or believed to be a threat to the country, but in doing so, you must charge him in the court of law. Let the trial be held out in the open and let the accused being given every avenue of opportunities to defend themselves.

The onus and burden of proving the accused guilty lies with the security agency for they knows best on the reason for recommendation of the detention.

Anyway, now that ISA is no more in existence, I hope that something can be done about this current detainees.

Charge them in the court of law, and if they are found guilty, then let the court throw them a suitable punishment befitting the heinous crime committed. If they are not guilty, then free the man people, for none of us humans were born to be a prisoner since birth.