Prominent academic Chandra Muzaffar today outlined a middle path on the Internal Security Act (ISA) between detention without trial provisions and the need to protect national security.

The International Movement for a Just World (Just) president said although the government may find it necessary to detain certain individuals for national security purposes, the evidence used to justify these detentions should be presented to an independent tribunal.

"The evidence should be presented to an independent tribunal. It many not be an open court but it certainly must be independent," he said during the question-and-answer session at the Human Rights Post Sept 11 forum at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

The forum was organised by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).

Chandra said the move will ensure that accused persons will have access to a defence hearing, while taking into consideration the difficulties of presenting in an open court evidence which could compromise national security interests.

"They will have access to a defence counsel, and can defend themselves and produce witnesses. (It is) understandable that there are difficulties in presenting (these) in open court," he said.