The dreaded Internal Security Act (ISA) is not a law to begin with. Laws are supposed to be based on the principles of natural justice. The ISA can't be considered a law by any standards as it violates, brutally and painfully, one of those very principles — the right to fair hearing.

Time and time again it has been said that the ISA is merely a convenient tool, an easy way out, an escape route, for the ruling party to continue its dominance over 'weaker' beings like you and I.

But the current rulers have been in power for almost 45 years and nothing has changed except the city skyline. We often boast of higher economic status, delude ourselves that we have higher standards of living. But most of us have sold our souls to the gods of development. We do not only live on borrowed time but borrowed money as well.

On Aug 1, oppositionists, non-governmental organisations, families of the victims of the ISA, past detainees and concerned individuals gathered in Kuala Lumpur (again) to condemn the draconian Act.

Combat communist

It has been 42 years, they said. Enough is enough. Everyone called for the government to repeal the Act. Do away with it, they said. It has outlived its purpose.

This time there was an added pomp — about 10,000 postcards criticising the law were sent to Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

When first tabled and approved by Parliament, exactly 42 years ago last Thursday, Abdul Razak Hussein, the deputy prime minister then, had promised Malaysians that the ISA would only be used against communist "terrorists" and to combat the communist insurgency.

Today, despite the disbandment of the Communist Party of Malaya, despite the non-existence of the communist insurgency since the threat ended formally in 1989 with the signing of the Haadyai peace agreement, the ISA is still alive — as proactive and energetic as ever — this time to stifle free speech and to annihilate political dissent.

NGOs, oppositionists and victims of the ISA must know by now that a government that enacts a law for its own benefit will never abolish it for the sake of the people. Fools will choose to think that the government will repeal or even review a weapon that has been so effective, so faithful, in ensuring its survival election after election.

Abolish government

The only answer to the ISA is to abolish the government that establishes the law — not the other way around.

NGOs, oppositionists and victims of the ISA must first rally for a change of government or else any discussion on the need to repeal or review the Act will most definitely fall on deaf ears.

But how do you rally for that? Stay united. Whatever your colour or creed, your language, ideology, your needs and interests must be prepared to be compromised for the sake of toppling a government that so fervently enacts harsh laws to keep its people subdued.

There is no more time for reform. Reform is a tiresome tirade used by demagogues who wish to secure the very power they battle against only to assume bigger, greater, more destructive power.

The ISA has disrupted the lives of countless families and ended the political career of many a rising star. It should not have been allowed to be established in the first place, way back in 1960.

The argument that it was used to nab "suspected communists terrorists" is a flimsy excuse because like any other suspect, they should have also been given the right to fair hearing since there should be enough evidence that pointed them out as 'suspects' in the first place.

How could parliamentarians endorse this law, a law that can find you guilty and put you away without a shred of evidence? It is inhuman, barbaric and moronic, to say the least!

No 'no'

Yet, some of us are more zealous in condemning the hudud law which, syariah lawyers adamantly say, fulfils the requirements of natural justice.

Those in Parliament who 'signed a blank cheque' for the government to entrench its roots forever should know their folly by now. Do not do unto others (support the ISA) what you do not want done unto yourself (get arrested under the ISA).

This Act should not even be used against "suspected communist terrorists", because according to the slightest whims and fancies of a dictator, any one of us — you or I, your father or your mother, that woman or man on the street — can be found to be a "suspected communist terrorist". And the one who orders for your detention — the home affairs minister — does not have to tell you why you are being deprived of your liberty.

It is like asking you to strip naked and enter a dark room blindfolded. You ask why, they say, "We don't have to tell you why".

In any other circumstances, you can say "No". But when they come for you using the ISA, "No" is a word that no longer exists in your vocabulary.

Recently, the propagandists for the ruling party want us to believe that there is a wind of change sweeping over this land. The fence sitters and the government stooges are saying that the Sept 11 terrorist attacks on America, where thousands perished, justified the use of the ISA on Malaysians.

Gender-neutral

But Bahirah Tajol Aris, wife of ISA detainee Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor, had said during the anniversary of the Act that the government is hiding behind the war against international terrorism to justify the continued detention of the six.

The six — Ezam and other Keadilan leaders like Tian Chua, Saari Sungib, Dr Badrulamin Bahron. Lokman Noor Adam and malaysiakini columnist Hishamuddin Rais and scores of others detained for being suspected 'militants' — were arrested earlier, long before 911.

"They have nothing at all to do with the the alleged terrorist activities. In fact in their detention order, amongst the reasons given for detention, is that they have uttered seditious words which would incite the public to hate the government," said Bahirah.

"In short, the continued detention of the six is all about curtailing freedom of speech and to ensure that the six are not free to speak out against the government," she added.

But one thing could be said about the ISA — it is gender-neutral. It hits you whether you are man or woman. It is multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural.

In the same event, Abolish ISA Movement coordinator Zaid Kamaruddin said in his speech that it was "shocking" to find a sole female ISA detainee in Kamunting when the Human Rights Commission went a-visiting in June. The woman is serving a two-year detention for alleged involvement in issuing fake passports.

Zaid said that it was unbelievable that the ISA was used to detain her, for "don't they have enough proof to charge her in court?"

"It is more unbelievable to think, even if the government was right in accusing her, that she alone was involved in an activity which is considered to be a threat to national security," he said.

Political 'misfit' or Bukit Aman's shortcut

To those ardent supporters of the ISA, it is worthwhile to ponder over DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang's conclusion in his rebuttal to the grounds of detention and 10 allegations of facts to justify his second detention in 1987:

"Malaysia can only have a future if the authorities rise above party and intra-party preoccupations and take the longer and larger national perspective of what's good for the nation and people and for the future, rather than with consolidating power position or out manoeuvring political opponents in party or intra-party power play.

"The seven DAP members of Parliament in detention under the ISA [back then] — Karpal Singh, P Patto, V David, Lim Guan Eng, Dr Tan Seng Giaw, Lau Dak Kee and myself — are definitely not threats to national security but mere political victims."

That goes for all those who are languishing behind the dreary walls of Kamunting — you are either a political misfit in the eyes of the mighty rulers or a victim of Bukit Aman's simplest escape route.

SUSAN LOONE is a member of the malaysiakini team.