I refer to the Malaysiakini report Hindraf trio freed, Uthaya rejects conditional release .

Does the release of those detained under the ISA mean that the government is reforming? I think many people will see it as a step in the right direction and M Manoharan's wife will, of course, be extremely happy and why not?

For a woman to have been robbed of her husband, for a child to have been robbed of her father, this freedom will, of course, go down well with them. What the motives of the government were will be of no consequence - not for the moment at least. But this is how these tyrannical regimes behave, that is how they pull wool over your eyes.

Nothing short of the repealing of the ISA will do. That draconian piece of legislation has to go, the excessive powers of the police have to go, the veil of secrecy under which they operate under has to be lifted, especially in cases where people are no threat to the nation but are rather law- abiding citizens expressing their frustrations legally and in accordance with their constitutional rights.

We have the case of A Kugan. How conveniently it has been wrapped up with critical evidence seized by the police of all people, the very people accused of having murdered him whilst in their custody. The conclusions by a so-called independent panel set up by the Health Ministry had so many loopholes which have been challenged by other Malaysian doctors.

There has been no reply, it has been closed, no case to answer, the last piece of evidence has disappeared, and the police have taken it. Have they done a Houdini with it?

And then there is the arrest of persons for wearing black. I suppose that is an offence, an offence that is not legislated yet but this is Malaysia where you can arrest, torture, intimidate and do what you want, then maybe legislate later.

Or set the person free without having to answer for your actions. That has been the modus operandi of the police force of late.

In Thailand they wore red and closed an airport and they did not get arrested. In Thailand they wore red and they sent Najib and all the Asean leaders packing.

Maybe one or two got arrested. In Malaysia, they wore black and had breakfast and they got arrested for both - for wearing black and for having breakfast.

Unlike his predecessor Kerishamuddin has yet to open his mouth and he has left the action to be carried out by the IGP for which he as minister of home affairs can deny any involvement if it goes wrong.

Or is he going to say that the activists, the members of parliament the state assembly persons, the lawyers and ordinary citizens who were either having breakfast or wearing black or both were arrested for their ‘own safety'?

We must not forget that whilst all these accusations are being made against the police force, it is this same force that arrested Mat Selamat and have now detained him under the ISA. Now we see the necessity of the ISA or don't we?

Why must he be detained under the ISA? He escaped from a Singapore high-security prison and he is wanted in Singapore. But he is not being released to the Singapore police and we are told because he was planning something. Period.

Planning what? Hishamuddin Hussein says its ‘too sensitive' - too sensitive for whom? Malaysians? Singaporeans? Or worse still, was it some racial or religious target in Malaysia? What was it?

Hishamuddin says the police arrested Mat Selamat only when he did something wrong. So is he saying that they knew he was here all the while, knew of his whereabouts and then arrested him only when he did something wrong here?

From what Hishamuddin says, it appears that this is indeed the nest of the JI in South East Asia, and if it is, we must begin the psychological war now to fight it, the same way we fought the communists. Why is this government so secretive about the JI and its activities here in Malaysia?

If the government is at work against these elements, they will have the support of the people. But to use such scare tactics to keep alive some draconian law like the ISA is a lame excuse. The freeing of the ISA detainees is but a prelude to bigger detentions and trumped up charges and more unlawful detentions to come.

I shall wear black every Saturday from now and I hope you will all join me as I wish to follow the lead of my friend in Bersih. I choose Saturday because on that day I am a free man, not in the confines of my employer's office.

I am now sure that if they are going to allow us to do so, the minister of primary trade will get an Umnoputra to get going and make black clothing and later legislate that only one company in Malaysia will be permitted to make any black clothing. That's how it works.

If you object, you will be accused of inciting trouble and exploiting ‘sensitive issues' and be detained under the ISA