Two of five people suing the government for detaining them under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which they claim is unconstitutional, became emotional in court today when recounting their sufferings during detention.

NONE Reformasi activist, filmmaker and columnist Hishamuddin Rais ( right ) broke down while telling the Kuala Lumpur High Court of the cards wishing him well that he received from people around the world.

During re-examination by his counsel Razlan Hadri Zulkifli, Hishamuddin was asked whether the detention had any impact on him.

“To this day... I received over 3,000 cards from all over the world, and got them on the day of my release. To this day, I dare not open it. I kept it as a treasure,” he said.

In addition, he said, the detention “made me paranoid about the sounds of keys for six months”.

Hishamuddin was testifying as a plaintiff in the suit seeking the court’s declaration that Sections 8 and 73 of the ISA, which allow for detention without trial, are unconstitutional.

He and four others, including Selangor assemblyperson Saari Sungib who testified on Monday, are also suing the then-inspector-general of police Norian Mai for defamation .

The former IGP had allegedly issued a press statement implying that they were terrorists gathering weapons and support in a plot to overthrow the government through militant means.

‘Cell reminds me of grave’

After his testimony, fellow ISA detainee, PKR leader Badrulamin Bahron, sobbed lightly as he described the conditions of his cell at a remand centre where the police had kept him after his arrest.

He said the cell measured about 8 x 9 feet, with no windows, was wet all the time and the air vents were covered, causing the cell to become hot and damp.

NONE Approached after the hearing, Badrulamin ( left ), who is communications director with the Selangor menteri besar’s office, said he wept not because of the poor conditions in the cell, but because it reminded him of a grave, which would be even smaller than the cell and not have amenities such as tap water.

Badrulamin also testified that he was often reminded, in a threatening tone, that he could be detained for up to 60 days by the police, extendable by two years, if he did not cooperate during the police interrogations.

He said when his wife Zumrah Husni went to speak at ceramah sessions and reportedly relayed his message to the Reformasi supporters to continue their struggle, it enraged the investigating officers, who then accused him of telling his wife to do so.

As a result, he had to write a letter to a senior police officer denying the charge, saying that it was likely due to pressure from peers or reporters, and told his wife to stop giving ceramah to secure his early release.

“The officers were delighted and promised to ensure that I would be released early,” he said of the police’s reaction when his wife agreed to the request.

He was detained for a total of two years and 44 days starting from April 20, 2001.

‘Abdullah is not Allah’

Earlier, Hishamuddin also told the presiding judge, Justice Lau Bee Lan, that he was told to sign on his detention order when he was arrested, with the officer telling him to resign to fate that he was being detained under ISA.

abdullah ahmad badawi pak lah parliament pc 101208 02 “I looked at the signature line and saw (then Home Minister) Abdullah Badawi’s signature. How can he say this is fate, that’s Abdullah’s signature. Could he sign for Allah?

“Thus, I did sign the order, but not willingly,” Hishamuddin said.

He also asserted that he never advocated violence at any point in his speeches.

“Toppling a government is not illegal, but the use of violence is wrong.

“Demonstrations are to give pressure against unpopular government policies. The government will change when it changes the policy... or when people change the government (through elections),” he told the court.

Hishamuddin, Saari and several others, were arrested on April 10, 2001, for their roles in organising a rally to commemorate the second anniversary of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s conviction for abuse of power.

The hearing resumes tomorrow, with Badrulamin continuing with his testimony.