ISA Forum: repeal or review?
Jun 18th, 2008 by Tian
Photo with Ashvin Raj, a friend from Facebook who attended the forum
The ISA Forum last night (17 June) was attended by about one hundred people. I don’t think the ayttendance correlated with the level of support for the issue. On the contrary, I can confidently say that a majority of Malaysians do not support the ISA, at least the way it is administered now.
I thought it was rather dull, as all panelists would have immediately agreed that the ISA must be repealed. There is nothing less than to abolish the ISA. True indeed, all speakers just reiterate our stand against the ISA.
As Ambiga had spoken from the legal and human rights perspective, I decided to shift my focus elsewhere. To me, the ISA has nothing more to improve. In fact, it also cannot be made more flexible than what it is now.
My presentation focused on examining the argument that the ISA protects security. The opposite is true. The ISA, combined with other laws which invoke detention without trial (eg. Dangerous Drug Act, Emergency Ordinance etc.) allowed law enforcers to be slack, complacent and incompetent.
The fact that the police could pick up anybody without due process had created a force which is inefficient. Our law enforcers have been too ‘lazy’ to develop creative means to fight crimes. In other words, the detention without trial had not provided us more secured society (as shown in our crime statistics).
I read you cycled to Parliament today. They’ll probably try to clamp it.
Let get real…..this ISA is an act of Human Rights violation. One that had been passed down from colonial days but had been abused by the authority to clamp down on those out-spoken people.
The ISA should be repealed. Mahathir used it to detain Guan Eng, Kit Siang, Karpal Singh and many others who are now the luminaries of the PR coalition. ISA hardens the resolve of the political opponents. It does not help improve security of the country. This country has enough laws to deal with wayward guys.