updated version

The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today said it will decide within the next 24 hours on how to proceed with a complaint made by family members of four reformasi activists who were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Its commissioner Zainah Anwar told the family members who went to the Suhakam office at Menara Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur to hand over the written complaint, that it will call for a meeting to discuss the issues raised by them.

"The commissioners are scattered all over the country and we will definitely call for a meeting in the next 24 hours to take a position on this matter," said Zainah, adding the meeting will proceed even if not all the commissioners attend.

Earlier Zainah along with commissioners Dr Salleh Mohd Noor and Prof Mehrun Siraj heard complaints of the family members on the "severe violation" of the rights of those detained.

Fears of torture

The family members of Saari Sungib, Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, Tian Chua and Raja Petra Kamaruddin said they were shocked that the police did not even bother to inform them of the arrests.

"We had to find out about what had happened through rumours and newspaper reports. We were frantic with worry," they told the commissioners

In the written statement presented to the commissioners, they said the police have refused to allow them to visit the four and also left them in the dark on their whereabouts.

"We ask Suhakam to call for their immediate and unconditional release or ensure we have the right to visit our loved ones," they added.

The statement was signed by Ezam's wife Bahirah Tajul Arif, Raja Petra's wife Marina Abdullah, Saari's wife Aliza Jaffar and Tian's fianc Mabel Au Mei Po.

They also told the commissioners that they wanted access to see those detained and were fearful that their loved ones will be tortured.

Keadilan council member Irene Fernandez who was also present, told the commissioners that the family members wanted those detained to be allowed access to legal representation.

"We believe that as long as family members are not given access, we will assume that those detained are being maltreated," said Fernandez.

Irene also told the commissioners that lawyers for the detainees will file an application at the court tomorrow seeking their release.

The arrests

The family members also recounted the manner in which the arrests had taken place. Marina who was with Raja Petra when he was arrested said the latter was detained at about 9.30am today when their car stopped at a traffic light in Damansara while returning from their daughter's house.

"When our car stopped at the light, about 15 people surrounded it and asked Raja Petra to come out. They identified themselves as policemen and told my husband that he was being detained under ISA," said Marina.

She added that Raja Petra was then taken to the Damansara police station and subsequently to the Bukit Aman police headquarters.

Meanwhile, Ezam's wife Bahirah, said her husband was last seen at the Subang airport where he was supposed to board a plane to Penang.

"Someone then told me he was arrested. I tried to call him on his handphone but there was no answer," she said, adding that she later called MAS to check if Ezam had boarded the plane and was told that he hadn't.

I was only informed of Ezam's arrest by Bukit Aman this morning but they did not tell me why he was detained.

Asthma medication

Earlier in the morning, the family members had gone to Bukit Aman to find out more about the arrests but were not allowed in. However, a police public relations officer met them at the sentry post and confirmed the arrests.

Chua's fiancee Mabel Au said as far as she is concerned, Chua had just vanished into thin air.

"The police had not told his family of his arrest or the reason for the arrest," she said, adding that she was worried if Chua had access to his asthma medications.

"This morning, I passed some clothes and medicines to the police officer at Bukit Aman but he could not guarantee if Chua would receive them," she added.

Saari's wife, Aliza said she suspected that her husband was arrested because he was the chairman of the Committee for the People's Memorandum of April 14.

The memorandum was to be submitted to Suhakam asking the commission to look into the eroding human rights condition in this country.

Irene Fernadez who was speaking on behalf of R Vasanthi whose husband Keadilan youth leader N Gobalakrishnan was detained under ISA in Langkawi last night, said the former had contacted the island's police chief after learning of the arrest.

The police chief had told Vasanthi, who is currently in Kedah, that they were awaiting instructions on how to proceed with the case.