When D R Seenivasagam spoke out against the passing of the Internal Security Act as an instrument of intimidation 50 years ago, few realised how prophetic his words were, writes Tan Pek Leng.
Aliran
At this time, 50 years ago, the whole country was being geared up to celebrate the end of the horrendous 12-year “Emergency” that had taken an enormous toll on the lives of our people.
The Georgetown City Council, the only one then controlled by the Socialist Front, was the only local council in the country that refused to take part in the celebrations because the end of the “Emergency” was going to mean the start of a permanent emergency under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
Tan Phock Kin, the Socialist Front (SF) whip in the city council put it this way:
“With the advent of Merdeka, everyone looked forward with great hope to the ending of, at long last, the curtailment of liberty. But what do we find? Laws become more arbitrary, regulations become even more restrictive. Is this then an occasion for rejoicing and merriment? I feel sure that all thinking people will agree that such an occasion should be one for mourning and not for celebration.”
On 22 April 1960, when then Deputy Prime Minister Tun Razak tabled the constitutional amendment that would enable the promulgation of the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Parliament, opposition leaders voiced their concern, consternation, and most of all deep fear. The leader of the People’s Progressive Party, D R Seenivasagam, said that the new regulations were “ten times more fearful, ten times more deadly, than the Emergency Regulations”.
The Emergency Regulations had to be renewed every year whilst the ISA is a permanent law, “if it is not revoked it will live forever”. Under the Emergency Regulations, a detainee has the right to protest against his detention to the Committee of Review, presided over by a High Court Judge, which has final arbitration on the case.
Under the ISA, however, the decision of the Advisory Board can be overruled by the Home Affairs Minister. Article 149 of the Constitution provided that preventive detention should not be effected, and if at all effected, can only last three months. The constitutional amendment did away with this protection in order to facilitate the enactment of the ISA.
Rising to debate the Internal Security Bill on 22 June 1960, D R Seenivasagam called it “a vicious and repulsive document, a document which is repulsive to all those who believe in democracy”. He found it “difficult to believe any citizen of this country could have drafted this Bill if he has the interests of his fellow citizens at heart”.
“This Security Bill not only attempts to deal with terrorism, but it also attempts to deal with any citizen who dares to open his mouth,” he added, and charged that the Government’s motive in promulgating it was “intimidation, political intimidation, not only of political organisations, but of the people of this country”.
written by cheekhiaw, July 31, 2010 11:45:52
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written by Concerned_Citizen, July 31, 2010 04:07:59
On 22 April 1960, when then Deputy Prime Minister Tun Razak tabled the constitutional amendment that would enable the promulgation of the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Parliament...
ISA is the product of the late father of our beloved current PM.
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written by antares, July 31, 2010 02:48:48
Wow ... what a perfect description of the Ikut Suka Aku act, dah le tu tak cukup juga penipu perompak harta rakyat umeno/BeNd tambah pula Ongkos Saku Aku dan macam-macam lagi semuanya bermotif penipuan nak tutup bau busuk. Nak salahkan siapa? Hakikatnya selagi ada rakyat masih tak sedar, tak mau ambil tahu, dan tak tau memilih kerajaan, selagi itu Malaysia digengam oleh penipuan rakus penyangakx umeno/BeNd. G13 mari kita ramai-ramai tumbangkan dacing senget!
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written by Aduh, July 31, 2010 02:21:32
A vast majority of Malaysians seriously want those laws repealed . It is very simple and easily achievable. We can do away with having to fight najis, the home ministry or the police and get unnecessarily bashed in return. As the saying goes, a pen is mightier than a sword. Just at the stroke of a pen or rather pencil , VOTE Pakatan in GE 13. NOBODY should ever vote umNO, mca or mic or others component parties in beEND.
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written by Atheist, July 31, 2010 02:18:45
We appreciate that a kitchen knife in the bedroom is not acceptable but possible. The same is the argument with ISA in Malaysia (i.e. Malaysia - bedroom, Iraq,Pakistan, Pelestine - kitchen).
Guns are a necessity during a war but not during peace times. The same is about ISA being applied now as compared to before.
Guns and knifes are used on enemies and not on friends. But then again, who are our enemies these days????
Hence, paradigms shift with society values and society values determine a nation's progress. So .... have we really progressed?????>
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