Will ISA Be Used?

“…The Internal Security Act should be used against those wanting to overthrow the government through undemocratic means and cause instability and public chaos…”

Dato’ Dr. Maximus Ongkili

Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is facing mounting pressure from his own political party in using Internal Security Act for several controversial arrests of Malaysia Today’s blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng and DAP State Assembly Woman Teresa Kok on 12 September 2008. Among the fierce critics comes from his own De facto Law Minister Dato’ Zaid Ibrahim who condemn the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) against the civilians and he is prepared to resign if his voice is not heard. He in fact has tendered his resignation as a cabinet minister after one day he made the protest.

MCA leadership has also voiced strongly against the use of ISA but more constraints to the Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng case. “It is unacceptable and was a feeble attempt to justify the use of ISA on Tan” commented by Dato’ Seri Dr. Fong Chan Onn, the Vice President of MCA in commenting the Minister of Home Affairs justification that Tan’s life was under threat.

However, there are still numbers of the BN leaders who are in support for the use of ISA. Among those are Dato’ Dr. Maximus Ongkili, the Deputy President of Parti Bersatu Sabah who has strongly proposed that ISA should be used against the political opponents. Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim failure to establish the government on 16 September 2008 will be portrayed as creating instability with political unrest and cause economic uncertainties. “The Prime Minister already has his hands full handling the uncertainties and arising chaos created by Anwar,” said Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) College of Law, Government and International Studies research and Post Graduate Dean Prof Mohd Mustafa Ishak. UUM is known in supporting BN policies. These reasons will become as good excuse for the ruling party to arrest Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and other opposition leaders soon.

Dato’ Seri Abdullah Badawi may ignore the pledge of Dato’ Zaid Ibrahim because he may reasoning that Zaid is no longer acceptable as he failed in his bid to contest Kota Bharu UMNO division chief’s post in the recent branches meeting. MCA leadership may no longer cries on ISA as Abdullah government has already released Tan Hoon Cheng. The Prime Minister may use his influence to tame the MCA leadership in avoiding criticizing the ISA under the pretext of public orders.

The strategy to create the fear by having more arrest under ISA is no longer workable in the knowledge based society and in the era of greater edge of communication technology. It may delay the collapse of BN government but as a matter of time, the current ruling will fell down. Worst, they will go directly to the grave yard with no possibility of reviving the coalition. The BN leadership shall consider the option to accept the fact that they can play a role as a strong opposition in this country.

The new leader will emerge in the situation that the current opposition leaders will be being held under ISA. The current poor economic performances in the country will not stop the people from continuing to criticize the present government.

PKR: Mengejar 16 September 2008

Majoriti rakyat Malaysia berkeyakinan Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan PKR akan berjaya menarik lebih dari 30 orang ahli parlimen BN dan seterusnya berjaya membentuk kerajaan bersama DAP dan PAS tidak berapa lama lagi. Samada tarikh 16 September 2008 akan menjadi tarikh bersejarah ataupun tidak, ianya tidak menjadi persoalan kerana rakyat sanggup menunggu walaupun ianya terlewat dari tarikh yang telah dinyatakan oleh Ketua Umum PKR tersebut. Rakyat Malaysia telah menunggu puluhan tahun untuk membuat perubahan dan untuk menunggu hanya beberapa hari atau minggu atau bulan lagi untuk BN ditumbangkan dari tarikh yang diramalkan, mereka tetap sanggup dan ianya tidak akan mengecewakan mereka.

Namun, pemergian lima orang pimpinan kanan PKR yang terdiri dari pakar strategi PKR, Saifuddin Nasution; Ketua Penerangan PKR, Tian Chua, Ketua Publisiti Wanita PKR, Elizabeth Wong dan ahli Majlis Kepimpinan Tertinggi PKR, Johari Abdul dan Low Chee Cheong ke Taiwan pada 12 September 2008 yang lepas untuk menjejaki 49 orang ahli Parlimen yang kononnya sedang membuat lawatan sambil belajar menimbulkan seribu satu persoalan mengenai kebijakan mereka didalam menangani isu tersebut.

Saifuddin, Tian Chua, Johari Abdul, Low dan Wong sebelum berlepas ke Taiwan di KLIA pada 12 September 2008

PKR telah mengumumkan bahawa mereka telah mempunyai lebih dari 30 orang ahli Parlimen BN yang akan menyertai mereka didalam masa yang terdekat ini. Persoalannya, mengapa perlu mereka ke Taiwan. Walaupun mungkin ada dikalangan ahli parlimen BN yang ke Taiwan tersebut adalah diantara yang akan menyertai PKR namun pemergian lima pimpinan kanan PKR ke Taiwan tidak mungkin akan dapat merubah kegagalan untuk mendirikan kerajaan pada 16 September 2008. Menjadi lebih malang, mereka mungkin menghadapi masalah untuk kembali semula kenegara dengan segera kerana Taufan Sinlaku yang melanda Taiwan setelah dua hari mereka berada disana. Mereka sepatutnya berada didalam negara untuk merangka strategi bersama PAS dan DAP.

Taufan Sinlaku yang melanda Taiwan pada 14 September 2008 telah menyebabkan banyak penerbangan dibatalkan

Tindakan mengekori ahli-ahli BN lebih menunjukkan sikap kebudakan dan bukan perancangan strategi taktikal yang bijak didalam percaturan politik negara. Perbincangan dengan ahli-ahli parlimen BN yang ingin bersama PKR tidak perlu diperhebohkan kerana ianya adalah langkah taktikal. Tindakan “kejar-mengejar” secara fizikal di era komunikasi yang serba canggih ketika ini dan diberi liputan secara meluas didalam media ini tidak sewajarnya berlaku.

Kepimpinan PKR sepatutnya lebih berusaha untuk memastikan mereka mempunyai perancangan yang terbaik setelah mereka berjaya memimpin negara dan segala rancangan-rancangan tersebut dapat dilaksanakan dengan jayanya. Untuk merangka polisi mungkin mudah tetapi implementasi kepada polisi memerlukan mekanisma yang tersusun dan menyeluruh disamping memastikan mereka mempunyai pentadbir-pentadbir yang berkebolehan untuk melaksanakannya.

Permasalahan gabungan longgar Pakatan Rakyat yang terdiri dari PKR, DAP dan PAS serba sedikit akan sudah pasti boleh melembabkan usaha untuk membuat perubahan. Untuk mencapai kejayaan untuk menumbangkan BN mungkin mudah untuk Pakatan Rakyat diketika ini dimana “mood” rakyat semakin memberontak dengan segala kebobrokan kepimpinan BN yang semakin terdedah tetapi untuk memastikan kejayaan tersebut dapat dipertahankan adalah tidak mudah sepertimana yang dijangka. Sewajarnya, pakar strategi Pakatan Rakyat dan keseluruhan “think tank” mereka perlu berkerja keras untuk memperkukuhkan kesepakatan, membentuk polisi-polisi serta merangka struktur pentadbiran disamping memastikan mereka mempunyai sumber tenaga pentadbir yang cekap.

Internal Security Act (ISA) Won't Stop The Collapse Of BN Government

The use of Internal Security Act (ISA) in detaining the blogger of Malaysia Today - Raja Petra Kamaruddin, Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng and DAP State Assembly Woman Teresa Kok on 12 September 2008 is an unwise move of the government of Malaysia.

ISA which was formulated in 1948 to combat the armed insurgency of the Malayan Communist Party is a draconian law which permits the Minister of Home Affairs to imprison any person without trial if he or she was satisfied that such detention was necessary to prevent him or her from acting in any manner prejudicial to national security or to the maintenance of essential services or to the economic life in Malaysia. It violated fundamental rights, unconstitutional and oppressive, and has no place in a society that respects and upholds the rule of law.

Kamunting Detention Camp, Taiping

Section 8(1) of the ISA provides that ‘(i)f the minister is satisfied that the detention of any person is necessary …’ then s/he may issue an order for his/her detention. The three grounds given in Section 8(1) upon which the order may be based is where a person has acted in any manner prejudicial to the:

a) security of Malaysia or part thereof; or
b) maintenance of essential services; or
c) economic life.

The Internal Security Act has been enacted in 1960 under Article 149 of the Malaysian Constitution has been condemned by the people due to the abuse of power by the ruling party in detaining their opponents without trial.

All ISA detainees inclusive of the latest three victims must be released immediately and charge in the court of law. The draconian law of ISA shall be abolished and the right of the person to defend himself or herself in the open court must be allowed if the authorities have the evidences they have done any wrongdoings that jeopardize the security of the country.

The political uncertainties due to the poor performance of Barisan Nasional during the last General Election on 8 March 2008 shall not make an excuse for the ruling party to crackdown the people who are against them. Although BN still won 140 out of 222 parliamentary seats but the majority voices of the people are not able to tolerate with the existing government and want a change. The possible crossover of its own Member of Parliament to Pakatan Rakyat is more due in fulfilling the current voices of the majority of the people in the country. BN must accept the defeat and the fact that the people are no longer supporting them.

Barisan Nasional can always fight back as an opposition to function as check and balance for the new government in the case that the new coalition – Pakatan Rakyat manage to take over the country on 16 September 2008 or any other time that it may happens. The bottom line, the people want a healthy politics that emulate growth in economy and harmonious environment in Malaysia.

In the current political scenario, it is almost impossible for the current ruling party in Malaysia to “stop” the change. They shall have a self evaluation and find ways to improve themselves on what has actually goes wrong and how actually they shall rule the country in benefitting the majority of the people in the country not only to the selective few. By being the opposition, they have ample time in making the assessment prior to the next general election.


However, the “pride and ego” attitudes and the failure to admit their own fault will somehow cause a self destruction to the Barisan Nasional and all of its components party. In order to survive, the leadership of the Barisan Nasional must “swallow” and admit their mistakes and ready to play a role as opposition in this country. Otherwise, they are in the border of the “grave yard” and their existence will become a history in the country.

Intellectual Discourse - YPU

Coordinating an Intellectual Discourse for Yayasan Pembangunan Ummah on 29 August 2008