Deputy IGP: ISA still relevant
(The Star) – The Internal Security Act (ISA) is still relevant to curb threats to the country’s security and economy but it is not meant to oppress anyone, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said.
He said it was an effective preventive instrument, and was still needed to ensure that peace and stability prevailed in the country.
“As such, it should not be abolished. If it is revoked, it means that the country will be a step behind when there are so many other countries that are, in fact, reinforcing their preventive detention laws to curb terrorism,” Ismail said at a talk titled “ISA: Is it an oppression?”
The talk was jointly organised by a non-governmental organisation and the Home Ministry here on Saturday night. Ismail was one of the three speakers.
The other two were ex-ISA detainees Zabidi Mohamed, 47, a former legal adviser of the banned deviant group Al-Arqam, and Faiz Abu Bakar Bafana, also 47, a former treasurer of the Jemaah Islamiah.
Also present was Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob.
Zabidi agreed that the ISA should be upheld and urged the police to carry out their duties without fear or favour.
“The police should perform their duties firmly and judiciously because Malaysia should not become like Thailand, where protesters occupied the Prime Minister’s office compound for three months and then seized Bangkok’s two airports for eight days in November and December.”
“Thailand incurred losses of RM8bil within a month due to the riots,” said the former magistrate turned lawyer.
The father of 12 also said that Malaysia could not afford another incident like the racial riots of May 13, 1969 and concurred with Ismail that the ISA was still pertinent to maintain order in the country.
He added that the preventive detention law was more towards rehabilitating the mindset and had nothing to do with physical torture like pulling off the nails or forcing the detainee to sit on ice.
“These torture stories are made up by anti-government groups.
“The detention period is also a time when you are given the opportunity to reflect on what you have done and the wrong belief that you have blindly embraced,” said Zabidi, who was detained for three years and served another three years under a Restricted Residence Order.
Faiz, who was detained in Singapore, said the ISA gave him a second chance to right his wrongs.
However, most of the time he would read books brought by family members and friends and do research on his own compared to those detained in Malaysia who received a lot of counselling and guidance from experts, said the civil engineering graduate from a Singapore institute.
“The most important thing when we are back on the right path and are reunited with our family members is that we are able to give back to society by sharing our experience and let the lesson be learned,” he added.
