A Malaysian court on Thursday awarded a former political detainee 740,000 dollars in compensation for his 1998 arrest and assault in custody, in what his lawyers called a landmark ruling.

Attorneys for Abdul Malek Hussin said it was the first time that a Malaysian court had awarded significant compensation to a political detainee for illegal detention and abuse.

Abdul Malek was arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) on September 25, 1998, at the height of the "Reformasi" (Reforms) demonstrations following the sacking and arrest of Anwar Ibrahim, who was then deputy prime minister.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court awarded him a total of 2.5 million ringgit -- 1.0 million ringgit for his unlawful detention, 500,000 ringgit for assault while in custody and another 1.0 million ringgit in exemplary damages.

"It is not the money that is important but that my complaints of unlawful detention and physical ill-treatment at the hands of the police have now been vindicated," Abdul Malek said, according to his lawyer Sivarasa Rasiah.

Sivarasa said the verdict was a wake-up call for the government.

"This decision should give fresh impetus to the government to set up the long-needed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to investigate such abuses and this has yet to happen," he told AFP.

Groups campaigning against the ISA, which allows for indefinite detention without trial, also welcomed the move.

"This sends a message to the government that you cannot entertain such abuse and assault against individuals," Abolish ISA chairman Syed Ibrahim told AFP.

"It is good that exemplary damages were given as you really cannot justify the Internal Security Act. Any kind of detention without trial can be opened up to abuse," he added.

Abdul Malek was arrested after addressing a Reformasi demonstration, and detained under the ISA for 57 days before being released. He has said he was beaten and punched by police until he lost consciousness.

Calls for reform began after Anwar was sacked in 1998 by then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and convicted on sodomy and corruption charges that landed him in jail for six years.

Violent street demonstrations were finally quelled by police, heading off a political crisis in the country.

Anwar's sodomy conviction was later overturned but the corruption verdict stands, barring him from standing for public office until April 2008.

Malaysia is holding more than 100 people under the ISA, about 80 of them alleged Islamic militants.