Fasting Month Begins With Human Rights Violations : Another 3 Arrested Under The I.S.A!

Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) and Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) are astonished to learn of the latest arrest under the infamous Internal Security Act (ISA) on the first day of the Ramadhan fasting month.

To invoke the ISA against these individuals is absolutely against the fundamental principles of human rights, justice and international human rights standards.

Those 3 are known as:

1. Mustawan Ahbab (34) Indonesian

2. Samsul Hamidi (34) Malaysian

3. Seikh Abdullah Sheikh Junaidi (70) Malaysian

They were arrested under the Section 73 (1) of ISA alleged to be involved in International terrorist link. Earlier on the 15th July, the government had arrested Mohamad Fadzullah Bin Abbul Razak, (28). He is alleged to be involved in international terrorist networking.

GMI and SUARAM strongly condemn the new arrest under the ISA. The Government must guarantee safety of the detainee and he should be allowed legal assistance immediately. Under the ISA, detainees can be held for up to 60 days in secret locations and in solitary confinement, often in a windowless cell where they lose all sense of time and are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

GMI and SUARAM values that the security of the country is of utmost importance and does not condone any terrorist activities, but one's entitlement to a fair trial should not be deprived on any basis. If the Government has evidence against the suspect, we urge the government to charge him in an open court; otherwise, he should be released without any delay and unconditionally.

It is a shame that the Government is again practicing double standards on issues related to ISA. On one hand, it plans to review the ISA but on the other hand, new detention is carried out discreetly as no prior announcements were made. This incident exhibits yet again the true colours of the ISA, which is extremely arbitrary and has been abused in the pretext of national security. We demand the government to release all detainees immediately or charge them in open court.

GMI and SUARAM urge the people of Malaysia to demand for the release of all ISA detainees and for the abolition of the ISA once and for all. For 50 years the ISA has been the dark shadow haunting human rights in Malaysia . Let us fight for our rights and for a better Malaysia without the ISA which allows detention without trial.

Abolish the ISA!!!

Release all ISA detainees!!!

Close KEMTA!!!