The letter by Aizuddin Danian ('ISA for stability', June 27) is easily one of the most misguided I have seen in a long time. All of his arguments are either farcical or purely speculative at best.

He thinks detention without trial and democracy are not inherently incompatible since other democratic nations have detained suspected criminals without trial, or worse.

First off, just because a democratic country practises a certain (bad) policy, it doesn't mean it is justified elsewhere. If a man gets drunk every night and batters his wife, does it make it less wrong if his neighbours do it too?

As for his claim of the DEA and CIA activities, where did he get his sources from - The National Enquirer ? There has been speculation about such incidents but there are no documents that have been de-classified to support that.

Besides, the writer is confusing two issues here - internal and external national security. These are very different in that external nefarious elements, due to the fact that they are not citizens, are not afforded any constitutional rights in that country. Citizens have rights. Equal rights. Non-citizens don't. It's very demarcated.

If the writer is so for ISA, what proposition does he have for the issue of potential abuse by political incumbents? Because that's really what the real issue is, isn't it? All that hoity-toity academic talk doesn't mean jack if the fella in the big seat decides he needs to take out his opposition.

I fervently wish Malaysia only has one Mr Aizuddin. The only thing more dangerous than a monomaniacal politico is a misguided person.