Protests mount against Malaysia’s ISA law

Photo via shaifulr

As far away as Helsinki Finland, there’s even a report on Malaysia’s draconian ISA law. Word are spreading, justice will prevail

Public opposition is building against Malaysia’s draconian Internal Security Act (ISA), which gives police unchallenged discretion to arrest and indefinitely detain anyone without trial.

While many ordinary Malaysians agree and support the ISA, the arrest of a prominent blogger, a journalist and an opposition lawmaker under its provisions in September appears to have jolted the public. The journalist and the lawmaker were released following a public outcry, but the blogger, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, who runs the Malaysia Today website, has been sent to a political detention camp for two years.

Under the ISA, detentions can be renewed every two years, and in the latest count over 60 people were in ISA detention, many of them since 2001. Detainees include those charged of being members of the regional Jemaah Islamiah militant group, which was behind the 2002 Bali bombings and is said to be linked to al-Qaeda.

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