ISA 1960

Brief Facts

The Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) is a preventive detention law in force in Malaysia (and Singapore). Any person who allegedly threatens the national security may be detained by any police officer without a warrant or trail for up to 60 days. After 60 days, with the approval of the Minister of Home Affairs, the person can be detained for a further 2 years, and this is renewable.

This was enacted in 1960, while Tengku Abdul Rahman was Prime Minister.

Quotes

"The ISA introduced in 1960 was designed and meant to be used solely against the communists...My Cabinet colleagues and I gave a solemn promise to Parliament and the nation that the immense powers given to the government under the ISA would never be used to stifle legitimate opposition and silence lawful dissent"
Tunku Abdul Rahman

"The ISA is a measure aimed at preventing the resurgence of the earlier communist threat to the nation... During my term of office as Prime Minister, I made every effort to ensure that pledges of my predecessors, that powers under the ISA would not be misused to curb lawful political opposition and democratic citizen activity, were respected."
Tun Hussein Onn

Recent Application

Several opposition parties, including the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat(PKR) have spoken out against the ISA. Many of them have leaders or prominent members who were held under the ISA, such as Lim Kit Siang , Karpal Singh and Kim Guan Eng of the DAP, and Anwar Ibrahim of the PKR. (wiki)

Further Facts

The ISA has been amended 18 times, giving it more power every time. In 1989, the powers of the Minister under the legislation was made immune to judicial review by virtue of amendments to the Act, only allowing the courts to examine and review technical matters pertaining to the ISA arrest. Application of habeas corpus cannot be challenged in court, since the amendment gave the Minister of Home Affairs complete discretion in determining whether an individual is a treat to national security.

Further Quotes

1988 – "If we want to save Malaysia and Umno, Dr Mahathir (then Prime Minister) must be removed. He uses draconian laws such as the Internal Security Act to silence his critics."

2003 (after became PM) - called the ISA "a necessary law," and argued "We have never misused the Internal Security Act. All those detained under the Internal Security Act are proven threats to society."
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

1966 - "no one in his right senses like[s] the ISA. It is in fact a negation of all the principles of democracy."

At a BBC interview recently - "Which one would you prefer, arresting the bomber after the bomb explodes and hundreds of innocent lives are lost or arresting that bomber before the bomb explodes? Do you think we did that just for fun?"
Tun Mahathir Muhamad