updated version

Home Affairs Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today gave his assurance on the safety of the seven Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees who have been arrested for threatening 'national security'.

"I don't want to see another black eye. I have had enough of one black eye and we don't want to see two or three more," Abdullah told reporters after officiating a function in Kuala Lumpur.

Abdullah, who is also deputy prime minister, said the detainees would be treated well and that they would not be "brutalised".

Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim suffered a black eye and other injuries while in police custody after he was arrested in September 1998. A independent inquiry later concluded that former police chief Abdul Rahim Noor was responsible for the injury.

A number of other detainees who were arrested during the same period have also alleged that the police used brutal methods during interrogations. They included reformasi leader Abdul Malek Hussin and Anwar's former speech writer Dr Munawar Anees.

Militant tactics

According to police, the ISA arrests were to curb the reformasi movement from toppling the government using militant tactics, bombs and grenade launchers, and staging street demonstrations.

The reformasi activists had planned to hand over a memorandum on human rights to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) this Saturday.

The event, known as the 'Black 14' gathering, is to mark the second anniversary of Anwar's sentence for abuse of power. While a small delegation will be handing the memorandum over to Suhakam, the organisers have encouraged the public to attend the ceremony as a show of support.

The seven arrested so far are Saari Sungib, organiser of Saturday's event, Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua, the party's Youth leaders, Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, N Gobalakrishnan and Abdul Ghani Harun, Free Anwar Campaign (Freeanwar.com) webmaster Raja Petra Kamaruddin and former student leader and malaysiakini columnist Hishammuddin Rais.

Suhakam's response expected

When asked to comment on Suhakam's call to release the detainees, Abdullah said that he "expected" the response from the human rights commission.

"I would expect Suhakam to come out with such a statement but as far as the police are concerned they are acting in accordance with the law and they must have seen fit to use the power given to them under the ISA to arrest these reformasi activists," he said.

When asked how much of the commission's recommendations the home ministry would act on, he said that the ministry was always willing to listen.

"We will always hear what they have to say. We are not ignoring them. The police have even attended some sessions with them, but we have our views.

"We have to provide peace and security for our people, we are responsible for the Malaysian people," he said.

Yesterday, the 13-member commission issued a statement condemning the ISA detention and called for those arrested to be immediately released.

No change in government policy

Queried by another journalist if there was a shift in the government's policy to refrain from using the ISA against opposition politicians, Abdullah said "no".

"As I have said before we will not use the ISA against opposition politicians, but it has been used against reformasi activists who happened to be members of Keadilan," he said.

Abdullah also told reporters that the police have yet to approach him to sign the ISA orders.

According the Internal Security Act 1960, the police are empowered to detain individuals for 60 days before seeking the home minister's permission to extend the detention.

Yesterday, Inspector General of Police Norian Mai alleged that the detained activists were seeking to overthrow the government by staging violent street demonstrations and even using bombs and grenade launchers ([#1] Bombs and grenade launchers to topple gov't: IGP [/#], April 11).

Abdullah said that he would leave it to the police to do their task.

"That is the findings of the police. Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai is a responsible officer. He would not make baseless statements," Abdullah added, when asked about the allegations.