I am writing this letter in response to the letter posed by Ahmad Shafiq ([#1] ISA is justified and effective, too[/#] , April 13). Even if the ISA is effective, to whom does it serve? The people or the regime?

The main contention against the use of ISA is that it infringes human rights, democracy and civil liberty. Detention without trial means the death of civil liberty and equal protection of the law. If someone in the executive branch can arbitrarily judge whether to put somebody in jail or not, what is the use of judiciary branch then? Would it lead to a totalitarian society if someone possesses executive and judiciary powers at the same time? Definitely yes!

These are simple concepts, but those who have no political awareness may find them difficult to understand. A cup of teh tarik at the mamak stall and earning millions of ringgit is enough to satisfy them, although their civil liberty and national democracy are being undermined. These people will not realise that by condoning injustice, they are actually paying for their 'peaceful' life now at the expense of those of future Malaysians.

Whether those seven unfairly treated Malaysian citizens are traitors should be decided openly in court, not by the government, the writer, or me.

So, next time, if anyone wants to speak out about anything, please do your homework first - read more books, understand some important concepts and use your brain to think.