isa

Suhakam expresses deep regret

Malaysian rights commission voices 'deep regrets' over arrests

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 (AFP) - Malaysia's human rights commission Wednesday expressed "deep regrets" over the detention of seven opposition activists and called for their immediate release.
The government-appointed National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) said the arrests under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows indefinite detention without trial, violated fundamantal human rights.

"The present crackdown is cause for concern," it said in a strongly-worded statement after a special meeting.

"Suhakam calls on the authorities to release the seven detainees
immediately. If they have committed any offence, they should be charged and tried in an open court."

It also urged the authorities to allow families, lawyers and doctors
immediate access to the detaines.

Suhakam said there were initially signals that the government was "slowlybut surely being sensitized to human rights issues and is taking concrete steps to ensure that its concern for human rights is translated into action."

Suhakam's formation in April last year was proof of the trend, it said,
adding that it was against this backdrop that it expressed deep concern over the present arrests.

"In its current exercise of reviewing Malaysian laws that constituteinfringements of human rights... Suhakam will make recommedations to the
government on the necessity of amending or repealing the Internal Security Act," it added.

Suhakam members earlier met wives of the opposition detainees whocomplained that "our loved ones have disappeared into thin air."

Wives seek rights panel's help for detained opposition figures

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 (AFP) - The wives of Malaysian opposition activists detained without trial on Wednesday angrily protested the arrests, saying "our loved ones have disappeared into thin air."
The arrests from Tuesday under the Internal Security Act (ISA) were a "severe violation" of basic rights, they said in a letter to the National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam).

"As far as we are concerned, our loved ones have disappeared into thin air. We consider the denial of access and other basic information as an extraordinarily brutal and callous act by the police," they said.

"We consider their detention without trial and without judicial scrutiny as repugnant to their basic rights and to their dignity as human beings. We ask that Suhakam call for their immediate and unconditional release."

The letter was signed by the wives of the National Justice Party (Keadilan) youth leader Ezam Mohamad Noor; of the party policymaking council member Saari Sungib and of the FreeAnwar Campaign director Raja Petra Kamarudin.

The fiancee of Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua was also a signatory.

The four were among seven detained under the ISA. Keadilan is headed by the wife of jailed former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

The families handed the letter to a three-member Suhakam panel and held a half-an-hour session to give an account of the arrests.

They told the panel that Keadilan deputy youth leader N. Gopalapkrishan was detained late Tuesday on the northern island of Langkawi and youth exco member Abdul Ghani Haroon early Wednesday in eastern Sarawak state.

Suhakam official Zainah Anwar later said the commission regarded this as an "urgent issue" and would hold a meeting within 24 hours to "take a position" on the matter.

Marina Abdullah criticised the way police detained her husband Raja Petra early Wednesday.

"We were at the traffic lights when a car just pulled in front of us. Several men walked over to our car and my first reaction was to lock the door," she said.

"They came thumping on the hood and told us to open the door. Several cars and motorbikes joined in and surrounded us ... we later opened the door and they told my husband he will be arrested under ISA."

Marina said she was "really disgusted with the whole affair."

"I have no confidence in the law any more. It's like a cowboy town and a police state now. They can arrest anybody they like without having to give any reasons. What is it coming to?"

Ezam's wife Bahirah Tajul Aris said she was "disappointed" with the manner of his arrest. Ezam failed to board a plane Tuesday evening to the northern state of Penang and could not be contacted since.

"If my husband has done something wrong, they should charge him in court," she said. "I feel the ISA is just an abuse of power. It's all a political move to create fear and intimidate opposition supporters."

Saari's wife Aliza Jaffar said this was the second time her husband had been arrested under the ISA, after being held 15 days in October 1998.

She said they were already on alert after neighbours told them of cars outside their house Monday and someone taking pictures. The next evening, 11 police officers came to their house.

"They told my husband that he had threatened national security and will be detained under Section 8 of the ISA," she said.

"I feel very angry because the ISA is very cruel," Aliza said.

Saari's eldest daughter Anfar added: "Father kept telling us to be strong and told my brother not to cry. This time I have no tears but just hatred for the police."

Tian's fiancee Mabel Au, who is from Hong Kong, said although he had been arrested many times before, this was the first time he was held under the ISA.

"I am quite used to this kind of situation but I don't know what kind of crime he has done that they had to use ISA on him. For one to disappear just like that, I don't know what kind of country this is," she said.

Penahanan aktivis ISA:
Kami tidak akan undur - Wanita KeADILan

Oleh Roy Rasul
KUALA LUMPUR, 12 Apr (Hrkh) - "Siapakah yang tidak hiba melihat anak kecil merengek di pangkuan ibunya. Badannya panas. Ia mungkin tidak tahu apa-apa. Tetapi kita yang dewasa, yang tahu, pasti terkesan dengan tangisan dan rengekan itu," kata Ketua Wanita KeADILan, Fauziah Salleh.

"Sebagai ibu, isteri dan wanita, saya berasa simpati dan sedih terhadap apa yang menimpa para isteri reformis yang ditahan di bawah Akta (ISA), Selasa lepas," tambahnya.

Menurut beliau suasana pilu itu disaksikannya sendiri ketika mengetuai isteri-isteri terbabit ke Ibu Pejabat Polis di Bukit Aman dan Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia (Suhakam) di ibu negara semalam, berhubung penahanan tujuh aktivis reformasi di bawah ISA.

Mereka yang ditahan ialah Ketua Pemuda KeADILan, Ezam Mohd Noor, Naib Presidennya, Tian Chua, N. Gobala Krishnan, Raja Petra, Abdul Ghani Harun, Hisyamuddin Rais dan Hj Shaari Sungip.

Menurut Fauziah, selaku kemudi bagi wanita KeADILan, beliau dan jentera parti tidak akan membiarkan isteri-isteri ini ketakutan dan keseorangan.

"Wanita KeADILan akan sentiasa bersama-sama mereka, malah semalam pun kami telah membantu mereka menemui Suhakam, polis dan peguam," jelasnya.

"Sebenarnya mereka tetap tabah, walaupun mereka dipaksa menempuh dugaan ini," katanya.

Menurut beliau lagi, para aktivis ini mempunyai ramai anak yang masih kecil. Bahirah Tajul Aris, isteri Ezam Mohd Noor, misalnya mempunyai tiga orang anak. Shaari Sungip dan isterinya, Aliza Jaafar, mempunyai enam orang anak dan yang paling kecil berusia 2 tahun.

Fauziah seterusnya meminta pihak berkuasa membuktikan dakwaan kononya para aktivis yang ditahan itu merancang untuk mencetuskan demonstrasi militan secara besar-besaran.

"Wanita KeADILan kesal dengan dakwaan tanpa bukti ini. Sekiranya mereka benar-benar merancang perkara sedemikian, kerajaan harus mendakwa mereka di mahkamah," tegasnya.

Selain itu, beliau turut mempersoal tindakan polis tidak memaklumkan penahanan tersebut kepada keluarga yang terbabit dengan segera sehingga menyebabkan ahli keluarga berada dalam keadaan bimbang kerana tidak tahu tentang apa yang sedang berlaku.

ISA ARRESTS

At about 5.20 in the evening a group of men had gathered outside the house, huddled around a number of vehicles. At 5.30 the occupants of the house, Saari Sungib and his family, were obliged to open the door to let in 5 of these men. They identified themselves as police officers and informed Saari that he was being arrested under the ISA. They then searched the house, accessed his computer and printed out some of its contents. In one of the waiting vehicles a video-cameraman was spotted. At 6.15 the officers left, taking Saari and also a number of items from the house.

Mohamad Ezam Mohd. Nor simply disappeared. At about 3.30 in the afternoon he left his parents’ house to go to Subang airport, en route to Penang, and it was only when the people expecting him over there rang his wife to enquire why he had not arrived as scheduled, that it became obvious that something was amiss. Ezam was alone, so there were no witnesses to what actually happened. By the middle of the next morning, the family - like those of the other detainees - had still not been officially notified of his arrest.

Raja Petra’s arrest seems to have been inspired by one of those New York Police movies. He was in his car with his wife and daughter, returning home after visiting another daughter. They had stopped at a traffic light when suddenly another car drove in front of theirs and stopped, blocking their way forward. Almost immediately their car was surrounded by between 10-15 men, some on motorbikes. Petra’s wife, Marina, frightened that they were robbers, quickly locked the car doors. The men then proceeded to thump the car violently, insisting that they open the door, and eventually one of them demanded to know whether the man in the car was Raja Petra. When he replied in the affirmative, they ordered him out of the car, told him to hand over his valuables to his wife, and then unceremoniously escorted him to their own vehicle, under arrest.

Tian Chua and Hishamuddin (the latter, like Ezam, alone at the time) were taken at their respective offices. Gobalakrishnan was arrested just after giving a ceramah in Langkawi, and Abd. Ghani Harun was detained at Kuching airport, where he was about to board a flight to KL.

As far as is known, they were all verbally informed that they were being arrested under the ISA, but no papers were presented for them to see, let alone sign. Raja Petra’s arrest was unnecessarily rough.

At Bukit Aman this morning, the families of the detainees were treated shabbily. Not allowed to proceed beyond the guardhouse at the entrance, they had to stand on the road whilst a PR officer, who said she had been entrusted to represent the IGP, did an admirable job of politely withholding information. Where are our husbands? They are in police custody. Are they here? I don't know - they are in police custody...We have a right to see our husbands. When can we see them? Not today. We will contact you when you can meet them. How do we know they are safe? You have my personal assurance that they are safe and well. (I seem to remember that Datin Seri Wan Azizah was given just such an assurance by a police officer the day AFTER Dato' Seri Anwar had suffered a near-fatal assault). Oh yes, and absolutely NO access for lawyers.

Disappointed at Bukit Aman, the families left for the SUHAKAM office. They arrived unannounced, but the staff went out of their way to comply with their request that they be allowed to lodge a formal report on the arrests with at least two commissioners. The secretary managed to muster three of them by 2pm, and a fourth one arrived just as the session was finishing.

The families urged SUHAKAM to use its influence to insist that they are not denied their right to have access to their husbands, and also that the detainees should have access to a lawyer.

They expressed their fear that the detainees were being maltreated, and said that they would only be reassured when they could see them with their own eyes. Until they and the lawyers could meet them, it would be assumed that the detainees were being tortured. After what had happened to Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim and many others, they no longer have confidence in the police. If the police allow access, this will inspire greater confidence, but if it continues to be refused, they can only come to the conclusion that the police have something to hide.

A family support group has been set up for families of these latest ISA detainees. It will provide moral and practical support, and ensure that they are aware of their, and the detainees' rights. They will be given help and advice in dealing with the authorities, especially the police.

SUHAKAM has promised to hold an emergency meeting of its comissioners to discuss this whole episode, including the reports given by the families. They will get back to the families within 24 hours, to inform them of their conclusions and proposed action. Congratulations to SUHAKAM for their professionalism - we hope the police will follow your excellent example.

Serikandi

DUA WAJAH : TAHANAN TANPA BICARA

Kira-kira 27 tahun dahulu, saya ditangkap di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA). Beberapa orang pegawai polis telah mengejutkan kami dari tidur dan mengambil saya dari rumah pada awal pagi 7 Disember 1974. Selepas hampir enam tahun ditahan, saya dibebaskan pada 25 September 1980. Saya tidak sangka boleh ditahan sebegitu lama, tanpa bicara.

Buku ini (Dua Wajah : Tahanan Tanpa Bicara) meliputi masa enam tahun itu dan mencatatkan perkara yang berlaku terutama ke atas diri saya. Dalam tempoh saya ditahan bermacam-macam peristiwa melanda rantau dan negeri ini. Di Vietnam, Amerika Syarikat mengalami kekalahan. Di Malaysia, berlaku perpecahan di dalam Umno akibat perebutan kuasa. Beberapa orang pemimpin politik dan wartawan ditahan di bawah ISA.

Banyak pengalaman telah saya kumpul selama dalam tahanan, ada yang pahit dan ada juga yang manis. Saya mengalami kezaliman pihak polis yang bertindak atas arahan orang politik yang gila kuasa. Saya melihat berbagai wajah manusia yang tidak berperikemanusiaan.

Sebahagian besar daripada yang dialami dan dilihat sempat saya catatkan semasa ditahan. Nasibnya, pada waktu yang paling ketat dikawal pun, saya telah mendapat pertolongan kertas serta pensil daripada beberapa pihak yang tidak disangka-sangka sama sekali.

Selepas bebas, saya memang merancang hendak menerbitkan catatan ini. Akan tetapi, oleh kerana banyak nama orang terbabit yang akan disebutkan di dalamnya, maka saya menerima nasihat bahawa lebih baik rancangan itu ditangguhkan dahulu kerana takut-takut boleh mendatangkan mudarat pula.

Sekarang ini, ramai orang yang tercatat namanya di sini telah meninggal dunia, berhenti kerja ataupun menjadi warga emas. Saya percaya, kita semua sudah berubah, sudah melupakan hal-hal lalu dan sudah maaf-memaafkan. Saya sendiri pun sudah memaafkan semua. Harapan saya ialah, mereka yang masih hidup dan sempat membaca catatan ini tidak akan merasa tersinggung.

Beribu-ribu orang telah menjadi mangsa ISA sejak ia diluluskan pada tahun 1960. Pengalaman saya di bawah akta ini kecil saja jika dibandingkan dengan pengalaman ramai orang yang lain. Ada yang ditahan sampai 15 tahun dan ada pula yang meragut nyawa sendiri kerana tidak sanggup menahan derita.

Namun demikian, saya terbitkan juga catatan sederhana ini sekarang dengan harapan ia boleh menjadi bahan renungan bersama di kalangan umum. Saya harap, sekurang-kurangnya, anak saya yang masih terlalu kecil atau belum dilahirkan lagi semasa saya ditahan akan dapat memahami sekarang apa yang telah berlaku.

ISA masih berkuatkuasa dan telah menyimpang jauh daripada tujuan asalnya iaitu untuk membendung kegiatan komunis militan. Kadang-kadang orang boleh dicap, dituduh, ditahan dan diseksa sehingga terpaksa membuat pengakuan (yang adakalanya palsu).

Harapan saya ialah catatan ini akan dapat mengingatkan kita betapa zalimnya akta itu dan betapa terbukanya ia kepada penyalahgunaan.

Atas nama ISA, berbagai-bagai hal yang tidak harus dilakukan oleh manusia terhadap manusia lain boleh dan pernah dilakukan.

Mudah sahaja bagi sesiapa mendesak supaya seseorang yang tidak disetujui pendapatnya ditahan di bawah ISA. Ini sebenarnya sikap tidak bertanggungjawab. Penahanan bukan cara terbaik untuk menyelesaikan masalah atau untuk membetulkan yang salah.

Banyak lagi cara berasaskan ajaran agama serta nilai kemanusiaan (insaniah) yang boleh dan patut digunakan. Dengan ikhlasnya, saya ingin mengingatkan para pemimpin yang pernah berjanji untuk mengkaji semula ISA agar berbuat demikian dengan segera. Masanya memang sudah tiba untuk pihak pemerintah menghapuskan terus akta ini.

Dr Syed Husin Ali
Petaling Jaya

© 2001 AgendaMalaysia

SIDANG AKHBAR AHLI KELUARGA TAHANAN ISA

KUALA LUMPUR, Khamis 12 April – Ahli keluarga tujuh tahanan ISA hari ini menolak dakwaan polis bahawa ketujuh-tujuh aktivis yang ditahan itu mempunyai sabarang perancangan untuk menjatuhkan kerajaan secara militan.

Jurucakap mereka, Aliza Jaffar dalam satu kenyataan yang dibacakan di hadapan berpuluh wartawan tempatan dan luar negeri di Dewan Perniagaan Cina Selangor tengah hari ini menegaskan, pihak polis haruslah mengemukakan bukti yang kukuh berhubung dakwaan tersebut.

“Semua dakwaan yang dibuat ke atas ketujuh-tujuh tahanan ISA itu bukan sahaja tidak berasas malah satu pembohongan terancang dan memiliki niat tertentu,” katanya.

Turut berada pada sidang akhbar itu ialah isteri kepada Ezam M.Nor, Bahirah Tajul Arus dan ahli Majlis Pimpinan Tertinggi Keadilan, Irene Fernandez.

Kata Aliza yang juga isteri kepada Saari Sungib, kesemua mesyuarat berhubung dengan perhimpunan aman yang dijadualkan Sabtu ini dibuat dalam suasana terbuka dan kesemua rancangan serta jadual program dihebahkan kepada umum tanpa selindung.

Oleh yang demikian, katanya, tindakan dan tuduhan bahawa suami mereka dan juga ahli keluarga mereka terlibat dalam aktiviti yang berbentuk sulit dan mengancam keselamatan negara adalah tidak berasas malah terdapat jawatankuasa yang dibentuk dan mereka boleh dihubungi bila-bila masa sahaja.

Katanya, jawatankuasa yang dipengerusikan oleh suaminya itu hanya merancang untuk menyerahkan memorandum kepada Suhakam Sabtu ini bukannya mengadakan demontrasi ganas sepertimana yang didakwa.

Semalam dalam sidang akhbar khasnya, Ketua Polis Negara menyatakan bahawa ketujuh-tujuh aktivis itu ditahan kerana mereka dipercayai terlibat dalam satu usaha untuk mengadakan huru hara secara militan dalam usaha untuk menumbangkan kerajaan.

Kata Tan Sri Norian Mai, satu kumpulan yang terdiri daripada 20 aktivis reformasi telah dibentuk untuk merealisasikan rancangan mereka dan telah mengadakan perjumpaan sebanyak 12 kali sejak awal Januari hingga bulan ini.

“Kami yakin bahawa oleh kerana tidak ada sebarang bukti yang boleh disabitkan dengan kesalahan yang dituduh maka pihak polis telah menggunakan ISA untuk menahan ketujuh-tujuh aktivis ini,” ujar Aliza lagi.

© 2001 AgendaMalaysia

Thursday April 12

They’re innocent, say ISA 7 family members
K Kabilan

4:54pm, Thu: Family members of the seven reformasi activists arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) over the past two days today denied the seven had plotted to topple the government by militant means as alleged by police.

Aliza Jaffar, wife of detainee Saari Sungib, read out a statement on the denial to a packed press conference at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall this afternoon.

“All allegations made against the reformasi activists detained under the ISA by the police are manifest lies which are unfounded and made with malicious intent,” said Aliza.

Open meetings

She said that the seven had participated in every reformasi meeting in an open manner and all planned activities were publicly announced.

“This is clear from the fact that there is a committee which can be identified and contacted. It is illogical for the police to allege that every meeting is held in secret when public statements and media announcements were made by the committee,” she added.

The reformasi activists had planned to hand over a memorandum on human rights to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) this Saturday.

The event, known as the 'Black 14' gathering, is to mark the second anniversary of jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's sentencing for abuse of power. While a small delegation will be handing the memorandum over to Suhakam, the organisers have encouraged the public to attend as a show of support.

The seven arrested so far are Saari Sungib, organiser of the Saturday’s event, Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua, the party’s Youth leaders, Ezam Mohd Nor, N Gobalakrishnan and Abdul Ghani Harun, Free Anwar Campaign (Freeanwar.com) webmaster Raja Petra Kamaruddin and former student leader and malaysiakini columnist Hishammuddin Rais.

Intelligence report

Yesterday, at a press conference, Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai said that the seven were arrested under the ISA for “planning to use militant tactics to topple the government”. He said police received intelligence reports that the activists were in the midst of acquiring grenade launchers and explosives.

He added that a secret group made up of 20 reformasi activists had been set up in Kuala Lumpur to realise their plan to topple the government and had met secretly 12 times to plan ways to influence the people to engage in street demonstrations and illegal assemblies using militant tactics as part of their campaign.

Aliza said that the main activity of the activists on April 14 was to exercise of their right to deliver a human rights memorandum to Suhakam.

She said the police should provide evidence to support their allegations.

“We are certain that because there is no truth in these allegations, the police have decided to detain the activists under the ISA,” she added.

She said that the police should act professionally and fairly and not follow instructions of certain politicians.

Programme still on

Ezam’s wife, Bahirah Tajul Aris, and Keadilan supreme council member Irene Fernandez, who were also present, thanked Suhakam for their statement yesterday which opposed the detention of the seven under the ISA.

April 14 People’s Memorandum committee member Mohamad Fadil Abu Bakar said the detention of the seven under the ISA indicated the “weakening of the Barisan Nasional government”.

He said that the committee will continue with their programmes for Saturday and will ensure that any gathering that takes places will be peaceful and orderly.

Wednesday April 11

ISA arrests: Families hand complaint to Suhakam
K Kabilan and Leong Kar Yen

1:55pm, Wed: updated version The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today said it will decide within the next 24 hours on how to proceed with a complaint made by family members of four reformasi activists who were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Its commissioner Zainah Anwar told the family members who went to the Suhakam office at Menara Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur to hand over the written complaint, that it will call for a meeting to discuss the issues raised by them.

“The commissioners are scattered all over the country and we will definitely call for a meeting in the next 24 hours to take a position on this matter,” said Zainah, adding the meeting will proceed even if not all the commissioners attend.

Earlier Zainah along with commissioners Dr Salleh Mohd Noor and Prof Mehrun Siraj heard complaints of the family members on the “severe violation” of the rights of those detained.

Fears of torture

The family members of Saari Sungib, Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, Tian Chua and Raja Petra Kamaruddin said they were shocked that the police did not even bother to inform them of the arrests.

“We had to find out about what had happened through rumours and newspaper reports. We were frantic with worry,” they told the commissioners

In the written statement presented to the commissioners, they said the police have refused to allow them to visit the four and also left them in the dark on their whereabouts.

“We ask Suhakam to call for their immediate and unconditional release or ensure we have the right to visit our loved ones,” they added.

The statement was signed by Ezam’s wife Bahirah Tajul Arif, Raja Petra’s wife Marina Abdullah, Saari’s wife Aliza Jaffar and Tian’s fiancéé Mabel Au Mei Po.

They also told the commissioners that they wanted access to see those detained and were fearful that their loved ones will be tortured.

Keadilan council member Irene Fernandez who was also present, told the commissioners that the family members wanted those detained to be allowed access to legal representation.

“We believe that as long as family members are not given access, we will assume that those detained are being maltreated,” said Fernandez.

Irene also told the commissioners that lawyers for the detainees will file an application at the court tomorrow seeking their release.

The arrests

The family members also recounted the manner in which the arrests had taken place. Marina who was with Raja Petra when he was arrested said the latter was detained at about 9.30am today when their car stopped at a traffic light in Damansara while returning from their daughter’s house.

“When our car stopped at the light, about 15 people surrounded it and asked Raja Petra to come out. They identified themselves as policemen and told my husband that he was being detained under ISA,” said Marina.

She added that Raja Petra was then taken to the Damansara police station and subsequently to the Bukit Aman police headquarters.

Meanwhile, Ezam’s wife Bahirah, said her husband was last seen at the Subang airport where he was supposed to board a plane to Penang.

“Someone then told me he was arrested. I tried to call him on his handphone but there was no answer,” she said, adding that she later called MAS to check if Ezam had boarded the plane and was told that he hadn’t.

I was only informed of Ezam’s arrest by Bukit Aman this morning but they did not tell me why he was detained.

Asthma medication

Earlier in the morning, the family members had gone to Bukit Aman to find out more about the arrests but were not allowed in. However, a police public relations officer met them at the sentry post and confirmed the arrests.

Chua’s fiancee Mabel Au said as far as she is concerned, Chua had just vanished into thin air.

“The police had not told his family of his arrest or the reason for the arrest,” she said, adding that she was worried if Chua had access to his asthma medications.

“This morning, I passed some clothes and medicines to the police officer at Bukit Aman but he could not guarantee if Chua would receive them,” she added.

Saari’s wife, Aliza said she suspected that her husband was arrested because he was the chairman of the Committee for the People’s Memorandum of April 14.

The memorandum was to be submitted to Suhakam asking the commission to look into the eroding human rights condition in this country.

Irene Fernadez who was speaking on behalf of R Vasanthi whose husband Keadilan youth leader N Gobalakrishnan was detained under ISA in Langkawi last night, said the former had contacted the island’s police chief after learning of the arrest.

The police chief had told Vasanthi, who is currently in Kedah, that they were awaiting instructions on how to proceed with the case.

Wednesday April 25

ISA 5: families vow to fight on
Tong Yee Siong

5:24pm, Wed: The High Court’s dismissal of the habeas corpus application of the five Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees will not dampen their families’ determination to continue battling for their release, said the wife of one of the detainees today.

Bahirah Tajul Arif whose husband Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor was nabbed under the Act two weeks ago, said she was disappointed with Justice Augustine Paul’s judgment although the families had expected it.

Bahirah who was speaking to reporters outside the court said the families would continue to battle for the release of their loved ones and strive to create public awareness on the menace of the ISA.

“We will not stop fighting and struggling for their release. We will file an appeal and campaign for the abolishment of the oppressive Act,” she said.

The ISA crackdown began with the arrests of seven reformasi activists on April 10 and 11.

Subsequently, five of the detainees, Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua, Youth leaders Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor and Saari Sungib, Free Anwar Campaign (Freeanwar.com) webmaster Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin and social activist-cum-malaysiakini columnist Hishamuddin Rais filed their habeas corpus application.

A total of nine reformasi activists have been arrested under the ISA to date, the latest being Keadilan youth secretary Lokman Adam who was nabbed yesterday.

More arrests

Bahirah criticised the government for abusing its power, as evident in the ISA dragnet. She also expressed her fear of the possibility of more arrests.

“They took away our loved ones in the name of national security and then they denied us legal access. It has been two weeks and we have yet to hear from them,” she said.

Earlier, Justice Paul had ruled that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter as the arrests and the detention of the five were done in accordance with powers vested in the police through the ISA.

Paul added that the ISA provided for preventive detention in the interest of national security.

Also present in court were Saari’s wife Aliza Jaffar and DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang.

Judicial review

Lim, who claimed his presence was a “show of support” described the ruling as “most shocking”.

He called on the country’s legislative body to restore the judicial review on all laws including the controversial ISA.

“The ISA was amended after Operasi Lalang in 1987 to remove its judicial review. Parliament must now return the judicial review on all laws to prevent the abuse of excess ministerial powers,” he said.

Lim urged the authorities to refrain from making more ISA arrests, adding that those already detained should be freed if there is no sufficient evidence linking them to the crimes alleged by the police.

“If they are really involved in militant violence since two and a half years ago, charge them in court. In the absence of evidence, they should be released,” he said.

Bebaskan Pejuang - Pejuang Keadilan

24 April 2001 adalah hari yang istimewa. Kami isteri-isteri tahanan zalim ISA yang telah bertambah bilangannya, menyaksikan dua keadaan yang begitu berbeza.

Pukul 12 tengahari kami berkumpul di hadapan pintu masuk Bukit Aman untuk bersama-sama Bahirah, anak-anak dan ibu bapa Saudara Ezam meraikan hari jadinya, hari ini. Turut hadir beberapa orang ahli Parlimen DAP dan beberapa orang bekas tahanan ISA yang turun untuk memberi sokongan. Setelah semuanya berkumpul, kami pun berhubung dengan pegawai PR Bukit Aman. Kami terpaksa tunggu lagi kerana katanya, dia lambat sebab "blackout", jadi lift tak boleh guna. Apabila dia turun ke pondok pengawal, hanya isteri-isteri dan anak kecil sahaja diberi pas pelawat. Nampaknya ada perkembangan baik berbanding dengan kedatangan kami pada 11 April yang lalu, iaitu sehari selepas suami-suami kami ditahan. Pada pagi hari itu kami hanya dilayan di pondok pengawal di tengah jalan kereta keluar masuk di bawah hujan rintik-rintik. Walau bagaimana pun Pegawai PR Bukit Aman itu telah meminta maf kepada saya apabila saya telefon mengatakan "bad PR" atas layanan tersebut pada keesokan harinya.

Apabila kami masuk beliau masih tidak dapat memberi jawapan bila kami boleh berjumpa suami yang ditahan. Kek untuk Ezam juga tidak dapat diterima. Surat-surat dan kad dan pesanan lain diterima oleh beliau dan akan disampaikan kepada pegawai lain. Saya dan isteri Dr. Badrul Amin meminta salinan senarai barang-barang dan bahan yang diambil dari rumah kami semasa suami kami ditahan. Isteri Saudara Lokman pula hanya mendapat pengesahan bahawa suaminya juga adalah tahanan ISA apabila bertanya kepada pegawai PR tersebut.

Vasanthi isteri Gobala juga bertanya undang-undang apakah yang tidak membenarkan isteri berjumpa suami dan menuntut bila kami boleh berjumpa. Polis kata mereka "Cepat dan Betul". Pegawai PR itu pun berdalih mengatakan bahawa tidak semua "Cepat dan Betul" Lalu Vasanthi menempelak, kalau tidak boleh "Cepat dan Betul" tak payahlah gantung moto "Mesra, Cepat dan Betul" tu.

Kami persoalkan tentang perikemanusiaan, kegelisahan dan keperitan isteri yang datang dari jauh dan anak-anak yang terpaksa ponteng sekolah hanya untuk melihat ayah mereka. Anak-anak kecil saya dan Bahirah tetap tidak mengerti apa yang ibu-ibunya sedang hadapi kerana mereka bermain dan melompat sambil gelak ketawa di dalam bilik tersebut. Akhirnya setelah berada lebih kurang 45 minit di bilik tamu yang berhawa dingin itu, kami terpaksa melangkah keluar dengan perasaan yang hampa dan kecewa dengan jawapan dan alasan yang kami terima.

Sampai di luar, kami disambut oleh pemberita dan jurugambar. Bahirah menyatakan kesalnya tidak dapat menyampaikan hasrat anak-anaknya dan ibu bapa Ezam untuk menyambut hari jadi Ezam bersamanya.

Walaupun begitu, sebelum masuk tadi penyokong-penyokong kami telahpun menyanyikan lagu "Happy Birthday To Ezam". Rupa-rupanya nyanyian itu adalah untuk SUHAKAM kerana apabila kami pergi ke SUHAKAM pada pukul 3 petang, Tan Sri Anuar menyatakan bahawa hari ini adalah hari jadi SUHAKAM yang pertama. Tan Sri Anuar menerima aduan Farah, isteri Lokman umpama seorang ayah mendengar rintihan seorang anak. Dengan linangan air mata, Farah memohon bertemu suaminya dan hari ini juga adalah hari jadi anaknya yang kedua berumur satu tahun.

Pembelaan terhadap hak asasi ini amat diharapkan daripada SUHAKAM. Tan Sri Anuar terus memberi harapan bahawa adalah tanggungjawab SUHAKAM membela hak asasi semua rakyat, majoriti mahupun minoriti. Semua kata-kata beliau amat melegakan hati kami. Rupanya masih ada manusia yang mempunyai sedikit kuasa yang mengerti erti perikemanusiaan dan belas kasihan terhadap manusia lain yang teraniaya oleh akta zalim ini. Terima kasih juga kepada semua sahabat handai dan penyokong-penyokong kami yang terus memberi sokongan dalam apa jua bentuk sekalipun.

Bebaskan tahanan ISA dengan segera.
Teruskan perjuangan mansuhkan ISA.

Ummu Urwah
(Aliza Jaffar)