Perak MB: Abolish or review ISA

The Star Online >
Nation Sunday April 27, 2008 MYT 5:16:43 PM

Perak MB: Abolish or review ISA
By CLARA CHOOI
IPOH: Review certain provisions in the Internal Security Act (ISA) or abolish it completely.
That was the appeal Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin reiterated to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during a PKR thanksgiving dinner here on Saturday.

Nizar noted that the ISA detention camp was in Kamunting, Perak, and as the new mentri besar, he had to answer to the families of the detainees.

“The parents and other family members of the more than 80 detainees come to me and ask what is happening there,” he said in his speech at the Tow Boo Keong temple.

“Please, if there is any room for a review of the provisions in the Act, do it. Or abolish the ISA completely,” he said.

Nizar said that at the very least, ISA detainees should be given the opportunity to interact with their lawyers and allow their cases to be tried in court.

“Now, they are detained without trial. This is not justice,” he said.

Nizar claimed he had broached the matter with the Prime Minister during their first hour-long meeting on April 18, adding that he was the first Mentri Besar to have done so.