Don’t be fooled into thinking that the status quo would change following the announcement made by new Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak that 13 ISA detainees would be released tomorrow , warns the Abolish ISA Movement (GMI).

syed ibrahim syed nor The group’s president, Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, said today the move is nothing but a “sweetening goodwill” move designed to rake in the votes for the three ongoing by-elections.

“This move is definitely politically-motivated or maneuvering with its timing designed carefully to rake in the votes to affect the outcome of the three by-elections.

“The outcome of the three by-elections are crucial in order to exert his influence as the new prime minister and (as the president of) BN,” he said in a statement today.

He added that Najib’s move reflected how the fate and lives of the detainees depend solely on the discretion on one person who wields the power to not only silence dissidents at his will, but also to release them at a time considered advantageous to those who hold power.

mahathir and rais yatim pc 190309 04 “Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the time when he became the prime minister did the same thing but what happened after that?

"The ISA is maintained and tightened and more people were detained in the infamous Operasi Lalang back in 1987,” stressed Syed Ibrahim.

The “goodwill” gesture said Syed Ibrahim means nothing when there are still 40 people detained with some of them being detained for more than seven years.

“Why? At the same time, there are those who had been accused of committing similar crimes to some of the 13 released but yet they are not freed,” he commented.

Najib made the announcement last night when he addressed the nation via live telecast as the country’s sixth prime minister after he was officially sworn in earlier in the morning.

ISA review is just mere rhetoric

He also promised to conduct a comprehensive review on the ISA but GMI believes there is nothing new with the announcement and described it as mere rhetoric.

najib first sixth pm speech 040409 03 “Many BN ministers and component party leaders have called for the same thing for the past years. In fact, there are those who resigned in protest against the law.

“The Human Rights Commission had proposed the ISA be abolished since 2003 but the government have yet to review the law or even tabled it in the Parliament.

“Now a new prime minister have promised to conduct a review but will it be fulfilled or is it a mere practice of ascending prime ministers?” questions the GMI president.

Although the release of the 13 is good news for detainees and their family, GMI is in the view that their release has become nothing but a “political commodity” or “political collateral” to portray Najib as a caring leader.

The most honest decision Najib can make is to release all detainees and not just a portion of them and abolish the ISA, stressed Syed Ibrahim.