The Abolish ISA Movement (AIM) will be meeting the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) tomorrow to discuss several issues regarding human rights situation in the country.

AIM, a coalition of 80 non-governmental organisations seeking to repeal the Internal Security Act, which allows detention without trial will be meeting Suhakam chairperson Abu Talib Othman at 10am at the commission's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

AIM coordinator S Arutchelvam (pic) said the movement wrote to Suhakam on Aug 8 expressing its unhappiness over the commission's vice-chairperson Harun Hashim's statement that those under detention in Kamunting needed to be rehabilitated.

"We also expressed our dissatisfaction with Suhakam's stand on the ISA which is currently not very clear," Arutchelvam told malaysiakini .

According to Arutchelvam, the closed-door meeting will include PRM president Syed Husin Ali, DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang, Suaram director Kua Kia Soong, chairperson of the AIM working committee Zaid Kamaruddin, Aliza Jaafar, wife of ISA detainee Saari Sungib and Penang Keadilan deputy chief Cheah Kah Peng, who is a lawyer.

It is learnt that the group will speak about the conditions under the ISA and the professionalism of the recently held inquiry in Kamunting, which the six reformasi activists boycotted.

The six are Keadilan leaders Tian Chua, Mohd Ezam Mohd Noor, Saari Sungib, Badrul Hisham Baharon, Lokman Noor Adam and malaysiakini columnist Hishamuddin Rais.

Ezam, who is Keadilan Youth chief, is currently in Kajang prison serving a two-year jail sentence under the Official Secrets Act for exposing documents revealing alleged corruption of two ministers.

Punishment, not rehabilitation

The NGOs recently scorned Suhakam vice-chairperson Harun Hashim's comment that placing individuals detained under the ISA in the Kamunting Detention Centre in Perak was a waste of time and public funds.

He said these detainees were being held in Kamunting for two years without a proper chance to be rehabilitated and that was a waste of public funds.

"We were told the detainees were just being dumped here and prison officials in Kamunting were not given any orders as to what to do with them," he said during an inquiry into the conditions of ISA detentions at Suhakam headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

"It's more like punishment than rehabilitation and it's a waste of time since none of the detainees are doing anything," he added.

In comparison, Harun said, those in prisons were at least taught a trade.

Suhakam's two-and-a-half day inquiry into ISA detentions which began on June 18 had seen a total of 20 people, including three police officers, interviewed.

The inquiry was chaired by Harun and he was assisted by fellow commissioners Prof Hamdan Adnan and Asiah Abu Samah.

Suhakam officials could not be reached for comment today.