Law of the Jungle in Malaysia: Former Dy PM, Anwar; vows to abolish ISA

The US State Department also called for “due process” of law to be applied to the five Hindraf leaders detained under ISA. “Our expectation… is that these individuals would be provided the full protections under Malaysian law, that they would be given due process, that they would be accorded all the rights accorded to any other citizen, and that this be done in a speedy and transparent manner,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

The international human rights watchdog agency Human Rights Watch too called for the abolishment of the ISA.

Former Deputy PM, Anwar slams 'jungle law' in Malaysia

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1139396

Anwar slams 'jungle law' in Malaysia

Venkatesan Vembu
Saturday, December 15, 2007 04:26 IST


HONG KONG: Facing a torrent of criticism for invoking the dreaded
Internal Security Act to arrest five ethnic Indian leaders, Malaysian
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said on Friday he had acted to
protect public order and national security.

In comments put out by the official news agency Bernama, Badawi said,
"Our action is justified. We have to take action if something
undesirable to national security and public safety happens."

Five leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which is
campaigning against race-based discrimination and economic
marginalisation faced by ethnic Indians in Malaysia, were arrested on
Thursday under a colonial-era law that allows for indefinite detention
without trial.

The arrests drew an avalanche of criticism from Opposition leaders,
including former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim who was himself
detained under the ISA during Mahathir Mohamed's tenure. Ibrahim
termed it a "law of the jungle" and vowed to abolish it if his party
came to power.

"I too disagree with a few things (that Hindraf leaders say they stand
for)," Ibrahim said. "But what about the welfare of the Indian
community? What about the Indian poor? What about the Hindu temples
that the government is demolishing?"

The US State Department also called for "due process" of law to be
applied to the five Hindraf leaders detained under ISA. "Our
expectation… is that these individuals would be provided the full
protections under Malaysian law, that they would be given due process,
that they would be accorded all the rights accorded to any other
citizen, and that this be done in a speedy and transparent manner,"
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

The international human rights watchdog agency Human Rights Watch too
called for the abolishment of the ISA.

But Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Malaysia, who briefed heads
of foreign missions in Malaysia, said Malaysia was free to invoke the
ISA against those who posed a threat to the nation. He cautioned other
countries from "interfering" in Malaysia's internal affairs.

On Friday, a group of Indian NGOs and community leaders, including
Malaysian Indian Congress president Samy Vellu, met Badawi. According
to one of the leaders who attended the closed-door meeting, the
delegation requested Badawi to drop ISA charges against the five
Hindraf leaders and instead have them tried in an open court. Badawi
promised to "look into it", the leader added.

Also on Friday, relatives of the five arrested leaders met them in at
the detention camp.