Decision Not to Review the ISA a Complete Disregard for Public Opinion

The recent spate of detentions under the Internal Security Act have sparked negative reactions from the people, including those in the government. It showed how a law, which was enacted during the Emergency in the 1960s, could be abused and is totally irrelevant in modern day. Following the recent detentions, there were calls from various groups – including myself and the MCA, several Cabinet ministers and the Bar Council - for the government to repeal or review the ISA as the country is no longer facing the threat of terrorists or communists.

I feel the government should not just brush these comments aside. Instead, it should do the right thing by relooking at whether there is still a need for such an Act, and if so, how to set up a mechanism to ensure that the ISA will not be used on civilians – as during the recent detentions. The country has legislatures which the government can use to prosecute those who were found to have broken laws and thus there is no need for the ISA which allows detentions without trial.

In the light of this recent development, I find Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar’s comments that the ISA will not be reviewed and repealed to be a complete disregard for public opinion. Syed Hamid was also quoted as saying that the various groups who have spoken out against the ISA “were entitled to their own views”. It shows that he is either out of touch with the people’s sentiments or he has total disregard for the basic human rights of the Malaysians.

As a senior minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid should realize that the government’s existence is based on the people’s support. Continued disregard of the people’s sentiments will further jeopardize the government’s position and the opposition will continue to ride on this diminished support to further their cause and destabilize the government.

( Mand version click "more" )

不检讨内安法令的决定，完全漠视舆论

最近发生一连串在内安法令下进行逮捕的行动，引发了人民，包括政府人员的负面回应。这显示，一项在上个世纪60年代紧急状态时期制定的法令，是如何的被滥用，而且在现代实行已经不恰当。随着最近发生的几项逮捕事件之后，好几个组织，包括我本人和马华，一些内阁部长和律师公会致电给政府，要求政府撤消或检讨内安法令，因为我国已经不再面对恐怖分子或共产党的威胁。

我认为，政府不应该对这些批评置之不理。相反的，它应该正视这个问题，重新检讨和确定，这样的法令是否仍然需要实行。如果仍然需要，要如何制定一项机制，以确保内安法令不会被用在老百姓的身上，就好像最近的逮捕事件一样。我国拥有各项法例，政府可以援引它们去提控那些触犯法令的人，而不需要援引只有扣留而没有审讯的内安法令。

鉴于最近的事态演变，我发现内政部长赛哈密发表有关内安法令不会受到检讨和撤销的评论，完全是漠视舆论。赛哈密也被引述说，发表反对内安法令的各组织，只是发表他们自己的意见。这说明，赛哈密如果不是不熟悉人民的情绪，就是完全蔑视马来西亚人民的基本人权。

身为一位资深的部长，赛哈密应该了解到，政府是依赖人民的支持，才得以生存的。如果继续漠视人民的情绪，将会进一步破坏政府的地位，而反对党就会乘机会利用这些已经被减弱的支持，进一步展开它们的斗争，以及颠覆政府。