Undaunted by several setbacks, opposition party Keadilan is persisting in its quest to seek justice for reformasi activists by lodging a police report against officers who first detained them under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

The party's Wilayah Persekutuan branch called for action to be taken against Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai and all other police officers who carried out an order from the Home Ministry to detain them unlawfully.

The report was lodged at the police station in Jalan Dang Wangi this afternoon by branch communications chairperson Dr Rosli Ibrahim, who was accompanied by some 20 party members and supporters.

Last month, the Kuala Lumpur Federal Court declared the first 60 days of five activists' detention unlawful but did not order their release on grounds that the ruling did not affect the subsequent two-year detention order signed by Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The latter decision came under criticism from various quarters, including lawyers, who said that three of the activists still under ISA detention, and two others who followed shortly, should have been released since their two-year orders were based on an unlawful act.

Name the interrogators

In the police report (No. THSL/024805/02), Rosli said the findings of the police based on interviews of the activists were invalid and in bad faith.

"The police were also wrong to submit their findings to the home minister, thus allowing the latter to order for their continued incarceration at the Kamunting Detention Centre," he said.

Rosli said one of the five action points listed in the police report was to initiate an investigation on Norian. In addition, the names of all officers involved in the interrogation of the activists during the 60-day detention period should be revealed so that disciplinary action could be taken against them.

"All officers who were involved, including Norian Mai, should be charged and brought to court. Abdullah should also order the release of the detainees " he said.

In addition, Rosli said Norian should apologise openly to the detainees including their family members.

In a statement later, Zahir Hassan, deputy chairperson of Keadilan's Wilayah branch communications department, said they spent a quarter of a day at the Campbell police station in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon to lodge the report.

"The procedure to make this report took two hours and 55 minutes including a question-and-answer session with Investigating Officer Ishak," he said.

Constitutional democracy

Zahir, who is also the vice-president of the Anti-ISA Movement, said Keadilan's supreme council had decided recently that the communications departments of all its branches should lodge individual reports against the police.

"We feel that the democratic system in Malaysia is increasingly under threat.

"Malaysia is a constitutional democracy which observes separation of power among the legislative, executive and judiciary. To ensure our sovereignty, each part needs to respect the decisions of the other and ensure that they play their respective roles without invading the space of others," he said.

The five reformasi activists are Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor, Tian Chua, Saari Sungib, Hishammudin Rais and Raja Petra Kamaruddin.

Mohd Ezam is currently serving a two-year sentence after being convicted of offences under the Official Secrets Act while Raja Petra was released within the first 60-day period.

Two others arrested and detained under the same conditions are Dr Badrulamin Baharon and Lokman Noor Adam. They are now held in Kamunting, together with Chua, Saari and Hishamuddin.