I refer to the last sentence of Hakam president Raja Aziz Addruse's [#1] Open letter to the Home Affairs Minister [/#] (April 16), as described below:

"For the time being, the seven activists who have been detained [under the ISA] should be released without delay. If there is, indeed, evidence to establish their involvement in any criminal act, they should be prosecuted in a court of law where they will be able to defend themselves."

I think the operative phrase is "be able to defend themselves".

Dr Mahathir Mohamad, too, had something to say about the seven recent arrests under the ISA. He said "normal laws" were not used to detain the seven reformasi activists arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA), as it would require evidence and adherence to certain procedures and processes ([#1] ISA more effective, says PM [/#], April 12).

The relevant phrase here is "require evidence".

Put those two together, and that's what ISA is all about - not giving the victim a chance to defend himself against charges that do not require evidence.