24. Abolish ISA

KUALA LUMPUR: A crowd of 100 people, mostly women and children, gathered at Menara Tun Razak to hand over a memorandum to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) demanding the abolition of the Internal Security Act and release of detainees.

The memorandum was handed over to Suhakam secretary Ahmad Yusuf Ngah by Aliza Jaffar, whose husband is former ISA detainee Saari Sungib.

"We want the detainees to be released and if they are guilty, to be tried in a court of law. Even hardcore criminals know when they are going to be released. This is unfair," she said.

The gathering, jointly organised by Family Support Centre and Abolish ISA Movement, was also attended by wives and children of ISA detainees and ex-detainees - NST.

Not just the ISA, but a host of the outdated Federal Constitution and Laws related to OSA, PP&P , the Police Act and many others to keep in line with modern times and the new millennium of basic Human Rights. I suggest a Law Reform Council to look into these matters with urgency with a view to abolishing, amending or even introducing new laws to keep up with the new realities of Malaysia. Some of our laws have been in existence for 50 years or more and are therefore outdated.