The release of vice-president Tian Chua and supreme council member Saari Sungib from their Internal Security Act detention will strengthen Keadilan, said a party leader.

Vice-president Azmin Ali said this was contrary to the government's perception that the four-year-old opposition party was no longer a formidable adversary.

"That's what they would like to believe," he said when asked yesterday whether the release was due to the impression that the party was weak.

Azmin was certain that the duo "will play their roles without further delay" but remained tightlipped on whether they would contest in the coming general election.

Unproven charge

Tian Chua and Saari Sungib ( photo ) were freed from their ISA detention on Sunday together with party Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Noor and malaysiakini columnist-cum-filmmaker Hishamuddin Rais.

Mohd Ezam is currently serving a separate two-year sentence for breaching the Official Secrets Act by leaking classified documents to the media pertaining to a graft probe on two ruling politicians. He is due for release this December.

In 2001, the four and two other Keadilan leaders Badrulamin Baharon and Lokman Adam were detained for allegedly planning to topple the government through militant means, a charge which they have denied.

Badrulamin and Lokman are due for release on June 12, when their two-year detention order expires.

Protracted decision

On their release, Azmin said he was disappointed with the Home Ministry for dragging it feet over the Federal Court's decision and ignoring the recommendations for early release by the ISA review board last November.

Last September, the court ruled that their initial 60-day detention was done in 'bad faith' but fell short of calling for their release from the two-year detention.

"Hopefully, this will not happen again and the ministry will respect the decision of the Federal Court the next time around," he said.

Azmin added that they were released not only because of pressure from the court's decision but also the efforts within the party circle and opposition parliamentarians who persistently raised the issue in the House.

More importantly, he said, was the collective effort of certain organisations such as the 80-member strong Abolish ISA Movement coalition, human rights movement Suaram and the international community.

However, the Keadilan leader pointed out that the outstanding charges faced by the ex-detainees was a cause for concern.

Tian Chua and Hishamuddin only managed to walk free yesterday after bail was granted for their charges for illegal assembly.

"I hope the courts will not put up any political obstructions," said Azmin, whose appeal against a perjury conviction is to be heard on June 16.

In May 2001, he was slapped with an 18-month jail sentence for making a false statement while testifying during jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim's corruption trial in 1999.

The Hulu Kelang state assembly representative was a former aide of the ex-deputy prime minister, who is serving a 15-year jail term for sodomy and corruption.

Despite their release, party Youth vice-president Shamsul Iskandar Mohd said there were still future challenges for the reformasi movement.

"When it comes to Keadilan leaders, (Mohd) Ezam is still in prison, and Tian Chua, if found guilty of any charges of illegal assembly will not be allowed to run for election for the next five years," he said when met.

No choice

In a related development, former ISA detainee Dr Kua Kia Soong said there was little choice for the government but to release the detainees.

He attributed this to the domestic and international pressure as well as Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's presence at the G8 summit in France as a representative of the third world ( photo ).

"I'm not surprised by the release because the government just has no leg to stand on," said the New Era College principal who was detained under ISA during a crackdown on dissidents in 1987.

Kua does not think that the Federal Court's decision had any bearing on the government's move to free the detainees.

"If it was the court's decision that mattered, they should have been let out earlier," he said, adding that the court should answer for the delay in their release.

"The court made a fatal blunder [for not ordering the release]," he said.

Also citing the G8 summit as one of the major catalyst behind their release, was Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) president Dr Syed Husin Ali.

The veteran opposition politician, who was also detained under the security law before, said the summit could have posed potentially embarrassing problems for the outgoing premier.

ISA was enacted by the British to counter the communist insurgency in Malaya but the law has been used by ruling politicians to stifle dissent.