Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) condemns the statement of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Foreign Ministry Ahmad Shabery Cheek that ” issues related to the violation of human rights at the Guantanamo Bay, which has been condemned by the world, are something unheard of in the context of the ISA” as published in Bernama(28 March 2007).

First of all, the Internal Security Act (ISA), which was enacted in 1960, allows and provides for arbitrary arrest and detention without trial for an indefinite period. 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. Detainees have been assaulted, forced to strip, deprived of sleep, food and water, told that their families would be harmed, and subjected to prolonged aggressive interrogation to force confessions or obtain information from them.

GMI wishes to reiterate that various local and international organizations including National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), have recognized that the ISA which allows violence, torture, humiliation and indefinite detention without trial is a violation of fundamental human rights.

Secondly, GMI is appalled with the claim that “there have been demands from various human rights groups as well as the United Nations for the Guantanamo to be closed but no one has asked for the ISA to be abolished”. This is a blatant lie! GMI views the statement by Ahmad Shabery Cheek as an ignorant and arrogant attempt to justify continuous use of the draconian ISA. Since 2001, Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (Abolish ISA Movement, GMI) a coalition of 83 NGO’s and community groups have been actively campaigning against ISA. Numerous reports and memorandums have been handed over to Suhakam, the PM’s office and the Internal Affairs Ministry to abolish ISA.

GMI strongly urge the Government not to apply double standards while calling for fair trials for the Malaysians in Guantanamo yet ignoring the right to trial for those who have been detained under the ISA in Malaysia. “Emergency” laws in Malaysia disregard human rights and violate the safeguards contained in the Federal Constitution and international human rights law.

We call on the Malaysian government to immediately repeal the ISA and return the legitimate rights of the people to fair and open trial.

Abolish ISA!

Release All ISA Detainees!!

Close Down Kamunting Detention Camp!!!

END

For further inquiries please contact Nalini at 03 7784 3525, Fax: 03 7784 3526 and email: suaram@suaram.net

Thousand apologies to foreign readers of this blog, below is a news report from a mainstream press in Malaysia.

There is a so-called scholar from a local university who got his phd in Islamic Thinking and Missionize (direct translation) from the University of Edinburg UK, commented that ISA is instrumental in curbing threats of terrorism in this country.

Hiding behind the guise of Islamic scholar, Dr. Mohd Farid Mohd Sharif said we should be thankful (terhutang budi) to the ISA because it allows the government to effectively stop terrorism activities in early stage.

This “Dr.” is just another typical apologist of the infamous, immoral, unscrupulous and unconstitutional law–I.S.A! If his arguments hold water, tell us why Iraq is still in unrest even though the US authority is picking up Iraqis and detaining them without trial in Guantanamo Bay?

Well, the only reason that I could think of is maybe the detention camp is not in Iraq…

http://www.bharian.com.my/m/BHarian/Friday/Nasional/20070330002941/Article/

ISA berjaya halang ancaman keganasan

Oleh Mohd Anwar Patho Rohman, Berita Harian, 30 Mac 2007

GEORGETOWN: Seorang pensyarah Pengajian Islam, Pusat Pengajian Ilmu Kemanusiaan Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) mengaku usaha memerangi keganasan di negara ini tidak akan berjaya tanpa Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA).

Dr Mohd Farid Mohd Sharif yang memiliki ijazah Doktor Falsafah (PhD) dalam bidang Dakwah dan Pemikiran Islam daripada Universiti Edinburgh, United Kingdom berkata, undang-undang dapat membendung ancaman keganasan di negara ini.

Bagaimanapun katanya, penguatkuasaan undang-undang itu perlu diperhalusi dan dihadkan supaya ia tidak dilihat terlalu melanggar hak asasi manusia.

“Kita boleh dikatakan terhutang budi dengan ISA kerana akta itu dapat menghalang keganasan yang dirancang mana-mana kumpulan militan atau radikal dari peringkat awal,” katanya selepas menyampaikan ceramah “Jihad dan Terorisme: Satu Analisa” di USM di sini, semalam. Kira-kira 50 orang terdiri pelajar dan pensyarah menghadiri ceramah itu.

Mohd Farid berkata, ISA penting untuk menghalang keganasan yang berlaku di selatan Thailand, di Indonesia dan Filipina.

“Tanpa tindakan awalan seperti dibenarkan dalam ISA, kerajaan akan mengalami kesukaran membendung ancaman keganasan di peringkat awal. Di Malaysia ada kemungkinan berlaku keganasan seperti di negara jiran. Oleh sebab itu ISA perlu untuk menghalangnya sebelum ia berlaku,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, kewujudan ISA menyebabkan sarjana barat menganggap Malaysia liberal dan selamat kerana tiada kumpulan militan atau radikal.

Sementara itu katanya, wujud fahaman baru terhadap istilah keganasan sejak serangan Pusat Dagangan Dunia di New York pada 11 September 2001 dan pengeboman di kota London, 7 Julai 2005.

Beliau berkata, keganasan yang sering dikaitkan dengan orang Islam hasil permainan kotor media barat sehingga menjadi label yang bukan saja ditakuti masyarakat Barat tetapi mengancam kelangsungan hidup umat Islam.

“Ia disebabkan salah faham Barat terhadap maksud keganasan dan jihad sehingga mereka menganggap perjuangan orang Islam seperti rakyat Palestin menentang Israel dianggap keganasan dan bukannya jihad,” katanya.
__._,_.___

Someone claimed that the detention without trial in Guantanamo is different from the ISA, because there is no one asking for the ISA to be repealed. Worst of all, the statement came out from the mouth of the Parliamentary Secretary of Malaysian Foreign Ministry. What a blatant lie!

To avoid from being a katak di bawah tempurung (frog under the well), Shabery Cheek should read the following articles to understand the human rights violations under the infamous Internal Security Act (ISA) 1960 in Malaysia:

http://www.suaram.net/isa/display_isa_news.asp?ID=318

http://www.suaram.net/isa/display_isa_update.asp?ID=461

http://www.suaram.net/isa/display_isa_news.asp?ID=354

http://www.suaram.net/isa/display_isa_statement.asp?ID=315

Here’s the news from Bernama http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=253626

Don’t Equate Guantanamo With ISA – Ahmad Shabery

KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 (Bernama) — The Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp in Cuba holding detainees of the United States government cannot be equated with Malaysia’s Internal Security Act (ISA), the Dewan Rakyat was told Wednesday. Parliamentary Secretary to the Foreign Ministry Ahmad Shabery Cheek said any assumption to that effect was totally unjust and would only smear the name and image of the Malaysian government. “Issues related to the violation of human rights at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, which has been condemned by the world, are something unheard of in the context of the ISA here. “Newsweek (magazine) has reported of the Quran being stamped on, ridiculed and flushed down the toilet (at the camp). Such things are unheard of in the context of the ISA detainees here,” he told the Dewan Rakyat when replying to a supplementary question from Teresa Kok Suh Sim (DAP-Seputeh) who had wanted to know whether the ministry would advise the government to do away with the ISA and remove the “Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp” in Malaysia. Ahmad Shabery said there have been demands from various human rights groups as well as the United Nations for the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp in Cuba to be closed but no one has asked for the ISA to be abolished. On the two Malaysians, identified as Mohd Farik Amin and Mohammed Nazir Lep, held under detention by the US authorities in Guantanamo Bay, he said the Malaysian government has asked the US government to ensure that both get a fair trial. “We will continue to monitor the developments in the matter and follow the trial of the two Malaysians,” he said. Mohd Farik and Mohammed Nazir are among the 14 foreign nationals who were transferred from secret detention locations of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the US government to Guantanamo Bay last September on suspicion of involvement in the Al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah movements. – BERNAMA