ISA detainee Mohd Ezam Mohd Noor's allegation that Umno intermediaries exploited his isolation in jail (after being transferred from the Kamunting detention camp) to put political pressure on him to defect should be investigated immediately - for it suggests the possibility of the police being used to advance in what is essentially a political matter.

The police should stay professional and neutral politically, even though they are duty bound to take orders from the ruling party. They have to stop at the border of official government matters and no more. Any intrusion into political realms would land them in trouble of being liable for prosecution for abuse of power!

Of course, the Umno party apparatchiks involved too should be prosecuted for abuse of power -just as how Anwar Ibrahim was prosecuted for allegedly abusing his position in ordering the police to do his personal bidding.

In fact, the Reformasi 6 who were detained under ISA had made similar allegations that the governing party had used the detainees' incarceration to put pressure on them, including extracting political intelligence and applying torturous and questionable methods.

This should be investigated by Suhakam and other relevant bodies with a view to stop such atrocious politicisation of the police facilities and power.

Let's see that the police stand on the side of citizens to safeguard against politicians' meddling and abuse of power - both for the citizens' interests as well as their own.