ISA 13 released – good or bad?

silly girl, i heard you saying, of course it is good.

well of course if you just look on the surface of it, it is good, but let’s look beyond that.

why were they released? it was a ‘present’ for us from our new PM. his first day of being PM, he announced the release. but why did he release them? a populist move? a by-election ploy? a genuine effort to want them to be released as he had consider reviewing the ISA?  well, whatever you think, depend on how you think of najib i guess.

as for me, well i wouldn’t say it is a by-election ploy but more of a populist move on his part.  i’m sure he already knew he’s not like by many people so he made this move to (try) to get into people’s good book… though  many people had warned not to be so gullibe to be fooled by his ‘present’.

the abolish ISA movement (GMI) said that this move of najib is an election tactic.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the status quo would change following the announcement made by new Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak that 13 ISA detainees would be released tomorrow, warns the Abolish ISA Movement (GMI).

The group’s president, Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, said today the move is nothing but a “sweetening goodwill” move designed to rake in the votes for the three ongoing by-elections.

(full article below, at the end of the post)

there’s one aspect that not many people thought of though. the PM can simply all of a sudden said ‘release the ISA detainees" – this means that such a decision can be made by ONE man at the man’s whims and fancies. doesn’t that sound a bit er… dangerous? how or why were the detainees arrested? yes, the ‘threat to national security’ reason. who had them arrested? which department in charge? ahh… the home minister, the botak syed hamid is the person in charge. so does this confirm what we had thought all along – the home minister take instruction from the PM. the home minister have no say on who to arrest and who to release – it all depends on ONE man – the PM! the PM alone suddenly decide that these detainees are no longer a threat to national security? if to them, being a threat to national security is an important issue, then shouldn’t it be that to decide that the detainees are no longer threats to national security be as equally important, which has to be decide by not ONE person? think about it.

now i can’t understand why only 2 of the hindraf detainees were released. why not release all 5 or if not all 5, might as well don’t release any at all. of course then to go further, we would ask why release only 13 and not release ALL of the detainees… but in calling for release of all, might as well call to abolish ISA all together! yes, abolish or repeal it, not as the PM said, review it.

we are all only too familiar with the call to abolish ISA, what with the many anti-ISA vigils planned last year at KL and penang. why, i’m all for the abolishment of ISA campaign you know. i have the anti-ISA badge as my gravatar and i also wear the badge (as pic left) everyday when i’m out. do i think our new PM will consider abolishing ISA? NOT A CHANCE!! no way, hose! methink, all the more he need ISA. the ISA would be a very powerful weapon for him if we are to believe he will become as authorative as the long-time PM, dr m. well, if he won’t abolish ISA, the next best thing is to review it, which he had said the government will ‘conduct a comprehensive review’.   i would like to give him the benefit of doubt… that he will have the ISA review. let’s wait and see.

 

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Malaysiakini
GMI: ISA release a by-elections tactic
Syed Jaymal Zahiid
Apr 4, 09 5:23pm

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the status quo would change following the announcement made by new Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak that 13 ISA detainees would be released tomorrow, warns the Abolish ISA Movement (GMI).

The group’s president, Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, said today the move is nothing but a “sweetening goodwill” move designed to rake in the votes for the three ongoing by-elections.

“This move is definitely politically-motivated or maneuvering with its timing designed carefully to rake in the votes to affect the outcome of the three by-elections.

“The outcome of the three by-elections are crucial in order to exert his influence as the new prime minister and (as the president of) BN,” he said in a statement today.

He added that Najib’s move reflected how the fate and lives of the detainees depend solely on the discretion on one person who wields the power to not only silence dissidents at his will, but also to release them at a time considered advantageous to those who hold power.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the time when he became the prime minister did the same thing but what happened after that?

"The ISA is maintained and tightened and more people were detained in the infamous Operasi Lalang back in 1987,” stressed Syed Ibrahim.

The “goodwill” gesture said Syed Ibrahim means nothing when there are still 40 people detained with some of them being detained for more than seven years.

“Why? At the same time, there are those who had been accused of committing similar crimes to some of the 13 released but yet they are not freed,” he commented.

Najib made the announcement last night when he addressed the nation via live telecast as the country’s sixth prime minister after he was officially sworn in earlier in the morning.

ISA review is just mere rhetoric

He also promised to conduct a comprehensive review on the ISA but GMI believes there is nothing new with the announcement and described it as mere rhetoric.

Many BN ministers and component party leaders have called for the same thing for the past years. In fact, there are those who resigned in protest against the law.

“The Human Rights Commission had proposed the ISA be abolished since 2003 but the government have yet to review the law or even tabled it in the Parliament.

“Now a new prime minister have promised to conduct a review but will it be fulfilled or is it a mere practice of ascending prime ministers?” questions the GMI president.

Although the release of the 13 is good news for detainees and their family, GMI is in the view that their release has become nothing but a “political commodity” or “political collateral” to portray Najib as a caring leader.

The most honest decision Najib can make is to release all detainees and not just a portion of them and abolish the ISA, stressed Syed Ibrahim.