The government today refuted the claim that Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees here were being abused and rapped the media for linking this with the torture of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar criticised the media for its 'bad intention' while Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar ( right ) said the allegation was aimed at tarnishing the country's image.

"The claim is to smear the good name of our country, (there is ) no truth (to it). I know there are certain quarters who are unhappy with the way we fight terrorism," Noh told reporters at the Parliament lobby.

The deputy minister said he visited the Kamunting detention camp - where ISA detainees are held - on April 29 and found all of them to be healthy.

"I spoke to approximately 50 detainees face to face. The meeting lasted about four hours. They didn't make any complaints apart from saying they should be released since they had served the two-year detention period," he added.

Noh said the detainees also did not show any signs of anger, adding that the atmosphere of the meeting was akin to "chatting with an old friend".

"We didn't abuse them. In fact when they refused to take food during a recent hunger strike , we arranged a doctor for them. Their families and lawyers are also allowed to visit them. This is why they can seek legal action such as the recent election suit .

"Our principle is clear, we don't put people under the ISA to torture or abuse them. We aim to rehabilitate them," he added.

Second visit

Noh said he was also prepared to make a second visit to the camp to gather more information on the alleged abuses and was willing to be interviewed by any international human rights organisation that decided to probe the matter.

Over the weekend, a foreign news agency quoted the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) as saying the government and police have yet to act on a memorandum from 31 ISA detainees regarding the torture they endured.

Following this, Inspector-General of Police Mohd Bakri Omar and Deputy Internal Security Minister Chia Kwang Chye said an investigation will be initiated as the allegations were serious, especially in the light of the torture of Iraqi prisoners by United States military personnel.

The ISA detainees had submitted the memorandum to Suhakam on Jan 19. It outlined 59 forms of alleged abuses they had been subjected to.

Among them, was being forced to strip naked during interrogation, urinate in a bottle and drink spittle. The detainees also claimed that their interrogators had burnt their beards.