The government should release the six Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees to prove its objectivity in handling criticism over domestic issues, said an opposition leader today.

Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the government should not criticise other countries and their policies when "its own backyard remains unkept".

"Malaysia has always been critical of other countries, especially o­n US foreign policy matters but our leaders do not realise that there are problems with our own domestic policies," she told a press conference at the party's new headquarters in Shah Alam.

Wan Azizah was referring to the declining US-Malaysia ties following criticisms by Malaysian leaders over the US-led war in Iraq.

The Bush administration's sentiment was o­nly too evident in ambassador Marie T Huhtala's speech at a forum in Kuala Lumpur last week, where she said Malaysia was being too critical of her country's foreign policy.

Public support

Keadilan was repeating the calls to release the six ISA detainees - Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor, Tian Chua, Lokman Noor Adam, Hishamuddin Rais, Saari Sungib and Dr Badrulamin Bahron.

The six were detained under the ISA in 2001 o­n the charge of plotting to topple the government via militant means, which they have denied.

Mohd Ezam was later transferred to the Kajang Prison where he is serving a two-year sentence for breaching the Official Secrets Act by leaking classified documents involving a probe into graft allegations against two politicians.

The detainees' two-year detention order under the ISA will expire next month but the government has the authority to extend it if the six are still considered a threat to national security.

Meanwhile, Wan Azizah said it was difficult to garner public support for the ISA issue.

"Every time the opposition MPs reiterate the two recommendations by the ISA Advisory Board for the release of the detainees, others would immediately shoot it down as 'only an advice'.

"The government does not feel compelled to respect the recommendations at all. We want the people to understand the issue and pressure for these people's immediate release from this unlawful detention," she added.

Meanwhile, the Anti-ISA Movement will meet the Federal Territory mufti tomorrow as part of seeking feedback from all muftis nationwide with regards to the ISA and the expiry of the detention order for the six activists.