A delegation from the Home Ministry has visited the Kamunting detention camp to persuade 16 Internal Security act (ISA) detainees to abandon their hunger strike, claimed a rights group today.

The Abolish ISA Movement (AIM) said four officers led by the ministry's head of assistant secretaries identified only as Habsah visited the camp yesterday seeking to end to the strike, which entered into its 12th day today.

"During the meeting, the hunger strikers said they will only end their strike if the Home Ministry gives them a letter stating their date of release. The (officers) said they will bring back the detainees' request for consideration by the ministry," said the group in a statement.

The 16 detainees, all arrested in 2001 on allegations that they are members of the Kumpulan Mujahiddin Malaysia (KMM), embarked on the hunger strike to protest the extension of their ISA detention orders last September.

Since the strike began on March 2, several of the protesters had to be hospitalised temporarily, including Nik Adli, the son of PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

Officers from the Home Ministry could not be contacted for comments, while a spokesperson from the Kamunting detention camp declined to confirm the attendance of the delegation.

Suhakam visit

Meanwhile, AIM said the detainees have scaled back on their fast after refusing food and water for several days.

"The detainees are still on hunger strike. They take in water after the break of Muslim fast at 7:30 in the evening. Their conditions remain very weak without food intake," said the organisation.

AIM also welcomed the visit made to the camp earlier this week by Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) representative Prof Hamdan Adnan.

However, the oganisation said Suhakam should commission a qualified medical team immediately to conduct medical check-ups on the detainees to ascertain their state of health.

"Suhakam should issue a public statement based on the result of the medical check-up and the opinions of medical exerts as a credible source of information," it added.

Family members and supporters of the detainees had staged a sit-in at Suhakam's headquarters last Friday to protest against the commission's alleged lack of concern for the health of the hunger strikers.