Human rights commissioner Prof Hamdan Adnan today criticised private television station TV3 for planing to screen the confessions for four Malaysian terrorism suspects tonight.

"TV3 should look at media ethics and stand by it. It should not make a mockery out of the press (ethics)," he told reporters when met at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

The commissioner was asked to comment on whether it was appropriate for the station to broadcast the confessions since the four men are being held in Indonesia under a security law allowing for detention without trial.

The four Mohd Nasir Abas, 45, Amran Mansor, 39, Jaafar Anwarul, 53, and Shamsul Bahri Hussein, 37, are alleged to be members of Jemaah Islamiah (JI) and were picked up following the bombings in Bali.

Based on a preview screening of the programme titled - ' Confessions of JI Members ' - to the press this morning, the men said they acted upon a fatwa by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden for Muslims to defend themselves and take vengeance for the actions of Americans.

Aside from admitting to being involved with JI, the four said they were remorseful for the destruction and deaths caused by the Bali and Marriot bombings in Indonesia and that they now rejected JI and its teachings.

Motive questioned

Meanwhile, Hamdan said the act of airing the confessions was against natural justice as the four had yet to be brought before a court of law.

"No court has decided so it is against natural justice. We have to preserve the integrity of the persons. They cannot be made to admit guilt before they are prosecuted. They should be allowed to defend themselves in court," he added.

The commissioner also questioned the motive behind the broadcast.

"We have to give the persons the benefit of the doubt. Why are they confessing after all these years? We may assume that something could have happened to them in the meantime," he said.

The Abolish Internal Security Act Movement (AIM) yesterday called on TV3 to scrap its programme as the broadcast would be akin to a trial by media.

However, TV3 director of news and current affairs Kamarulzaman Zainal was reported as saying that the programme will be aired at 8.30pm as scheduled.

Communist confessions

In a press release today, TV3 said the interview programme was arranged with the assistance of the Malaysian and Indonesian police forces.

"TV3 has made history again by filming an exclusive interview with four JI detainees now under the custody of Indonesian police...

"Some of the questions which were asked include their individual backgrounds, history of involvement in JI, their responsibilities and positions in JI, their explanation of JI movements and their repentance for being involved," said the statement.

This is not the first time that such controversial confession programmes have been screened on national television.

In 1995, al-Arqam leader Ashaari Mohamad admitted on television to preaching deviant religious beliefs and recruiting followers to his cult. He has since been placed under restricted residence in the Federal Territory of Labuan.

In the 1970s, there were the confessions by former political secretary to second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak, Abdullah Ahmad (who later became the editor-in-chief of New Straits Times until his sacking last November) and NST editor Samad Ismail.

Both admitted and repented for their 'crime' of being involved in communist activities, for which the duo were held under the ISA.