ISA detainees do not need rehabilitation --- only immediate freedom

I do not like that man who has been spending some time around my wife or my daughter. So, as the Home Minister, I can easily say that he is a member of some Islamic terrorist group and issue a 2 year Detention Order - and off he goes in detained without trial. The court cannot even review the reasons for the detention - which they could at one time. This is just an example of how Detention Without Trials can be abused by the government - and they will get away with it until the detention without trial laws are repealed.

That is why Detention Without Trial under the ISA, Emergency Public Order and Prevention of Crime Ordinance, Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act, ... is all so wrong...and must be repealed immediately.

A person arrested and detained under these laws do not even have the opportunity to defend himself...and for years, he can be detained for some really 'stupid' senseless false reason.

An innocent man deprived of his/her freedom...and now our Home Minister is talking about rehabilitation - it irks me so. I wonder how many Malaysians would accept or believe all this crap that comes from him.

DETENTION under the Internal Security Act (ISA) is geared more towards rehabilitation rather than criminal punishment.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar told M. Manogaran (DAP – Teluk Intan) that ISA detainees would be rehabilitated in regard to their extremist beliefs and actions, which could threaten national security.

“Those held under the ISA will undergo a rehabilitation programme at their place of detention.

“If a detainee has been considered to be rehabilitated and no longer poses any danger to the country, he or she will be released,” he said in a written reply. - Detainees undergo rehab programme, Star (11/7/2008)

I say again REPEAL all laws that allow for Detention Without Trial....

Release immediately and unconditionally all those being detained (and/or restricted) under these laws that allow for detrention without trial, including the 62 being currently detained under the ISA.

Syed Hamid said that as of June 30, there were 62 detainees held for involvement in various activities.

“Forty-two people were held for militant violence, six for falsifying documents, one for human trafficking, nine for gathering information for foreign intelligence agencies and five for Hindraf activities.

“However, we cannot provide a full list of ISA detainees with their background and offences at present due to security factor,” he said. - Detainees undergo rehab programme, Star (11/7/2008)

And we also cannot really get information of who is being detained under the ISA and for what reason. So, are there only 62 -- or are there more which cannot be disclosed for security reasons.

Now, we have seen the Director General of Immigration being arrested, remanded....together with a lot of other persons -- and they have already started talking about 'national security' and I would not be surprised that all these persons be subjected to some Detention Without Trial - and as such no trial - and some other BIG people's involvement will not come out.

With the Altantuya case, if Balasubramaniam's first SD is to believed - then we see the active involvement of police and even prosecutors to keep the name of a BIG man out of this case - in that case it was Najib Razak, our DPM for now - maybe until the end of the year only...

Mr Minister, if you are so interested with rehabilitation, maybe that should be the focus of sentencing of persons convicted of crimes in Malaysia after a fair and open trial. Now, there seem to be little or NO emphasis on rehab - only punishment.

"Even recently our Court of Appeal President lamented that sexual offenders are avoiding the whip by turning 50....

Sexual offenders are escaping whipping because they are 50 years of age or more by the time their appeals are exhausted.

Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Zaki Azmi said the prosecution should assist the court to hear such cases as soon as possible.

"The public is unhappy because they are under the impression that the courts are imposing sentences that are inadequate," Zaki said from the bench yesterday when presiding over criminal appeals in the Court of Appeal. - NST, 15/7/2008 "Zaki ticks off prosecution"

(oh yes....that is same Tan Sri Zaki Azmi, the UMNO lawyer who suddenly was appointed so fast as Federal Court judge recently and was then made the current No. 2 person in the Malaysian judiciary... This UMNO man will most likely be made the head of the judiciary if PM, UMNO and BN had their way....)

The Malaysian Bar has called for the abolition of corporal punishment including whipping - and here sadly we have a Judge lamenting that a person escaped whipping because he is 50 years or older...how sad.

The point of rehabilitation and punitive sentencing policy will be subject of a later posting maybe...