The wife of an alleged Al-Ma'unah member today filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) against her husband's prolonged detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Wan Norizan's complaint was received by Suhakam commissioner Ranita Mohd Hussein, who pledged to keep the family updated on any feedback from the authorities.

Also present were Che Wan Mustafa's parents, family friends and several Anti-ISA Movement (AIM) members.

Wan Norizan Wan Abas claimed that her husband Che Wan Mustafa Che Wan Kaman, 35, was not only innocent but not anywhere near Bukit Jenalek in Sauk, Perak, where 29 Al-Ma'unah members surrendered after a three-day stand-off with security forces in July 2000.

The incident had begun with a heist of assorted weapons from a military outpost and ended in tragedy, claiming the lives of a Special Branch detective and a police commando who were shot dead in a durian orchard.

In all, 19 members were tried in 2000 for waging war on the King. Group leader Mohamed Amin Razali has appealed against a death sentence passed a year later while two members, Zahit Muslim and Jamaluddin Darus are appealing against both their conviction and death sentence.

Sixteen others are appealing against their conviction and sentences of life imprisonment. The Federal Court will deliver its judgment on all the appeals on June 26.

Release recommended

In her letter of complaint, Wan Norizan said her husband, a teacher at a primary school in Dungun, disagreed with the action of group leader Mohamed Amin and the others.

"My husband joined the Al-Ma'unah to learn self-defence and Islamic traditional medicine with the registered organisation which had the Selangor religious department's approval and was also advertised in several newspapers and magazines," she claimed.

"My husband only knew about the arms heist through the newspapers. He then received a phone call from a group member on Monday, July 4, when he was at work."

Che Wan Mustafa was arrested while lodging a report at the Dungun district police headquarters on July 8. He has since been held at the Kamunting Detention Camp in Perak together with 14 other group members.

"Only two days earlier he had gone to give a statement after learning about the incident," Wan Norizan said.

She also claimed that all 15 detainees have received positive reports by the camp authorities and repeated recommendations for their release by the ISA advisory board.

According to her, the board had recommended their release in August 2001, four times in 2002 and thrice this year alone.

"At each subsequent hearing, the board expressed shock and regret that the detainees were still around," she claimed.

Wan Norizan questioned the actual reason for their continued detention when all five had been assessed positively, including receiving a favourable report on religious rehabilitation.

"The Special Branch told my husband that police have closed the Al-Ma'unah file and all detainees have been recommended for release a long time ago.

"We followed up on the matter with Home Ministry officials and were given the same positive outlook. Even the federal religious officer posted to Kamunting told us that he had sent reports to the ministry before the expiry of the two-year period in August 2002."

Wan Norizan also questioned the double standards practised by the government in selecting to charge some Al-Ma'unah members in court, release a few and detain the rest without trial.

"Another five detainees, who were released in December 2001 after spending four months in Kamunting, are now free and have not created any problems, both during restricted residence and now.

"So, why are my husband and his friends still in detention while a few others were freed despite being held on the same charges?"

Legal advice

AIM secretary Yap Swee Seng said the detainees' families were 'advised' not to engage lawyers or seek any publicity over the detention.

"A few are now planning to seek legal advice in view of all the violations of human rights since they were detained," he said.

Reiterating the stance of local and international anti-ISA campaigners, Yap said the government should charge those concerned in court or release them immediately without conditions.

"We also want Suhakam to visit the detainees as soon as possible and probe into the violations as recorded in the complaint.

"Why have the 15 not been charged in court like the other members? Is it due to lack of evidence or due to an absence of any evidence to prove the government's allegations?"

Yap said by charging the men in court, the government would be able to bring transparency and accountability onto the detention and convince the public that it has not abused its mandate.