It is outrageous, shameful and downright arrogant of the government to detain Raja Petra Kamarudin under the Internal Security Act. This goes to prove beyond any doubt that the government is incapable of prosecuting RPK and indeed all the other ISA detainees in a court of law for whatever ‘crime’ they have been alleged to have committed.

The government instead chose the cowardly way out of the predicament by sending them to Kamunting where they will now be held at the pleasure of the home minister.

I hope that the home minister and the government realise that such blatant acts of injustice only serve to further erode the people’s confidence in them.

Malaysians of today are no longer a quiet, subservient bunch. The government can expect them to openly challenge it or show their displeasure through the ballot box as they did in the last elections. Unless the government realises its failures and mistakes and takes corrective measures, its popularity is going to continue to go down the drain.

The victims of ISA must be given the freedom and right to defend themselves if they have broken the law. The government should not detain anyone without giving them the right to defend themselves. The home minister in this case is acting like the judge, jury and prosecutor.

As a former lawyer, he should be well versed in a fundamental principle in law, the principle of natural justice. It is a moral crime to detain someone without giving them a chance to defend themselves in a court of law.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, if you are aware of these rights and are a man of conscience, please release all those who have been detained under the draconian ISA. Don’t play deaf and blind to the millions of voices that call for the repeal of the ISA and justice for those currently  being held.

Also don’t forget that it was you, in your former capacity as the foreign minister, who was responsible for pushing Malaysia to adopt the Asean Charter which explicitly states that human rights should be respected by all member countries.

How can you justify your actions now? Ever since you became the home minister it seems you have forgotten the importance of this charter and have shown total disregard for our rights. Have you no qualms about trampling on the human, constitutional and legal rights of Malaysians?

This is gross injustice and a violation of our fundamental rights. I looked forward to a better Malaysia after Dr Mahathir’s rule. But it seems that the situation in the country has not changed, in fact it is getting worse, with people being thrown into jail for their “own safety”.

I would like to end with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi: “Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in depriving other human beings of that right.” Please take heed of this wise saying, sir.