Any lingering hope of release for the reformasi activists who are being detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) was dashed today when Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said they would not be freed.

Abdullah, who is also home minister, said his decision to sign the order was based on a police report that was submitted to him after their initial 60-day detention period.

He was commenting on the Sept 6 Federal Court decision to allow an appeal by five reformasi leaders that the first 60 days of their detention under the ISA were unlawful.

However, the court also ruled that its decision would not affect the two-year detention order signed by Abdullah after the expiry of the 60-day period.

In such cases, detainees would have to file a fresh habeas corpus application to challenge the two-year detention order.

No more habeas corpus

Abdullah said the government has made its decision to detain the activists based on valid national security concerns and therefore, there was no reason why they should be released.

"I read the reasons why they must be detained, and I am aware that the questions that were asked during the period were also questions relevant to security matters and not just a case asking about personal questions," he told reporters today, after officiating the opening of the National Land Convention in Kuala Lumpur.

"The defence lawyers in their submission conceded that there were questions pertaining to the issue of security. The report that was given to me was based on the answers to those questions."

During the habeas corpus appeal, the Federal Court was told that the police interrogation of the detainees was centred mostly on their political connections which were not related directly to the government's allegation that their activities had posed a threat to national security.

The reformasi leaders under detention Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua, party leader Saari Sungib and malaysiakini columnist-cum-film maker Hishammuddin Rais have said that they would not be filing another habeas corpus application.

The fourth activist, Keadilan Youth Chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor, has since been convicted of an offence under the Official Secrets Act and is now serving a two-year jail term at the Kajang prison.

The activists said they should be set free based on the Federal Court ruling as their two-year detention order had resulted from an unlawful act by the police.

Another reformasi activist, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, was released before the expiry of the 60-day period.

Meanwhile, the hebeas corpus application of two other reformasi detainees Keadilan leaders Lokman Noor Adam and Badrul Amin is pending in court.