Suaram and Gerakan Mansuh ISA (GMI) today called on the home minister to exercise his powers and cancel the detention orders that are keeping 45 detainees behind bars under the Internal Security Act, which will be repealed once the new security law is gazetted.

In a joint statement with Suaram coordinator Syukri Razak, Gerakan Mansuh ISA (GMI) chairperson Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said detaining them without the intention of charging them in court, despite the pending repeal of the ISA, showed irresponsibility on the minister's part.

NONE “So what is the purpose of their detention in Kamunting? If they are not going to be prosecuted, it means that they are free from any offences and should be released immediately,” they said.

Syukri and Syed Ibrahim ( left ) added that Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein could not also use the excuse that the detainees must serve out their detention orders as there have been cases where detainees were released before the orders to hold them expired.

“Then he should explain about the eight immigration detainees who only been detained for 10 months beginning in October 2010 and released in August 2011 without any prosecution,” they said.

They demanded the "immediate release of all ISA detainees and due compensation for the sufferings of the detainees and their families".

Gov't won't give in to hunger strike

Malaysiakini had earlier reported that Home Ministry officers told the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) that the detainees, upon their release, would not be charged with the offences for which they had allegedly been detained.

Home Ministry officers also told Suhakam, during a visit by its commissioners to the Kamunting Detention Camp following news of a hunger strike by the detainees, that the detainees would be released after serving out their detention orders.

This would be in accordance with Section 32 of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Bill 2012, which states that all orders made under the ISA would remain unaffected when it is repealed.

The ISA will only be repealed once the new security bill is gazetted.

Hishammuddin has said that the government would not give in to threats by detainees to resume their hunger strike, which had earlier lasted for up to a week.