KUALA LIPIS: Amendments to the Internal Security Act (ISA) and related laws are to ensure a comprehensive change in dealing with security issues in the country, says Prime MInister.
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the review was also to keep abreast with times and the wishes of the people.
"The Home Minister has brought the matter to the Cabinet on Friday and the ministers agreed that if other related laws are not similarly amended, it will create an awkward situation," he told reporters after opening the Rural and Regional Development Ministry's 50th anniversary at Dataran Lipis here on Saturday.
On Friday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the amendment to the ISA would be tabled along with amendments to six other laws.
The six are Prevention of Crime Act 1959 to review its effectiveness in preventing crimes; Section 27 of the Police Act 1960 relating to staging of assemblies without a permit; Banishment Act 1959 (Revised 1972) to determine if the law is still relevant; and Restricted Residence Act 1933 to review its effectiveness.
Other laws are the Dangerous Drugs Act (Special Preventive Measures) 1985 and the Emergency Ordinance (Public Order and Crime Prevention) 1969.
The ISA aspects to be reviewed are the detention period, rights and treatment of detainees, powers of the Home Minister and detention without trial.
Najib said the Government was serious in bringing about changes on the issue of security in the country.
"We will study and implement change to these laws in line with current needs and the wishes of the people," he said. - BERNAMA
From Wikipedia:
Criticism
Due to the alleged draconian nature of the ISA, several human rights organisations and opposition political parties have strongly criticised the act and called for its repeal. Foreign governments, notably that of the United States, have also pressured the government to repeal the act.
Several opposition parties such as the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) have spoken out against the ISA. Many of them have leaders or prominent members who were held under the ISA, such as Muhammad Sabu of PAS, Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh and Lim Guan Eng of the DAP, and Anwar Ibrahim of the PKR. Previously in the 1960s, the law had been denounced by such opposition leaders as Tan Chee Khoon, who said:
| “ | This infernal and heinous instrument has been enacted by the Alliance Government at a time when the emergency was supposed to be over. Then it promptly proceeds to embody all the provisions of the Emergency Regulationsad infinitum...[10] which during the Emergency had to be re-enacted every year, but now it is written into the statute book | ” |
However, several politicians from the Barisan Nasional coalition, including its largest component party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO or Umno), that has governed Malaysia since independence have also criticised the ISA. The fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, went on the record in 1988 to state "If we want to save Malaysia and Umno, Dr Mahathir (then Prime Minister) must be removed. He uses draconian laws such as the Internal Security Act to silence his critics.[citation needed]" The year before, he had also stated "Laws such as the Internal Security Act have no place in modern Malaysia. It is a draconian and barbaric law." In 2003 when he became Prime Minister, however, Abdullah called the ISA "a necessary law," and argued "We have never misused the Internal Security Act. All those detained under the Internal Security Act are proven threats to society." But opposition parties believe it is a threat to Umno rather than a threat to the country.
Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Mahathir had also adhered to a critical view of the ISA. In 1966, when Mahathir spoke out in support of the Internal Security (Amendment) Bill 1966 as a backbencher, he stated that "no one in his right senses like[s] the ISA. It is in fact a negation of all the principles of democracy."[10] After becoming Prime Minister however the former premier had little if any hesitation using the law to suppress what he termed racialism but was seen by some as a move against his political opponents, the most notable of events being the infamous Operasi Lalang in 1987.
REVIEW FROM Kd:
Now we all know that ISA is preventive detention law that allows enforcers to apprehend people whom were suspected of breaching the security of Malaysia. Typically it's just lunacy, why? well simply they are allowed to apprehend them in a manner of without trial and without concrete evidence (tell me if I'm wrong).
ISA was "originally" used to curb the issues of communist and internal terrorist. On the 13 of May 1969, the ethnic riots (rusuhan kaum 1969) happened, and this caused the government to use the full force of ISA, also on the 27 of October 1987, the police used ISA again this time with the nickname "Operasi Lalang".
They apprehended 106 politicians members from both opposition and government, the Chinese were in fear of another 13 May incident happening again, abd it was all because of some Chinese vernacular schools...hish.
Base on my review and research, I think that an amendment of ISA isn't enough as it still apprehends "wanna be criminals" without trial. No one likes it. Duh. Once upon a time, during the 13 days ruling of PKM (Parti Komunis Malaya), they did a similar tactic, its force was called "Kempetai", and it issued a "kill first ask questions later policy".
The main reason of Malaysia is doing ISA in the first place is to hush up the communist from Malaysia, when we are doing such laws, we're not hushing it, we're encouraging it. As a Muslim major, Islam doesn't announce apprehension without trial, Islam at least orders 4 eye witnesses to prosecute a suspected criminal. Doing such laws might just give the idea that Malaysia isn't ruling under respect and leadership qualities, but by fear and under-minded. Where did the 1 Malaysia concept gone? "Rakyat didahulukan, Pencapaian diutamakan".
I really loved the idea of "1 Malaysia" as it is a starter for the concept of "1 Ummah", but to do things without putting priority towards the citizen is just contradicting it.
For Starters, if Malaysia is so afraid of it's citizen, then start educating them becoming good citizens than apprehending them when they never understood a thing of what they did. Hopefully, we wouldn't more communist than the communist.
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