The government should allow non-governmental organistions to visit detentions centres, including the Kamunting Detention Centre and speak to detainees in private, said the Human Rights Watch (HRW) today.

"If the government truly has nothing to hide, they should let independent groups go in and report on their findings," its Asia division deputy director Sam Zarifi said in a statement.

The human rights watchdog was responding to the government's ' unprecedented opening ' of its detention facilities to select observers.

While welcoming the move, HRW stressed that this would not end the alleged abuses under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

On May 29, a group of journalists were allowed to tour Kamunting, where ISA prisoners are held, together with Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar.

"Even this brief glimpse into Malaysia's detention centres has shown that serious abuses have taken place," said Zarifi.

HRW said during the tour, detainees reportedly told the deputy minister that they had been abused during the first few weeks of their detention in the Police Remand Centres (PRC) by Special Branch interrogators.

(Prior to being sent to Kamnunting upon the orders of the Home Minister, ISA detainees are usually kept in PRCs)

"Most of the abuses against the detainees happen in the first few weeks of detention. The government knows this," said Zarifi.

Target date

He said while the announcement that the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) will investigate the allegations of torture at PRCs was a 'good step', the root of the problem was still the ISA.

"The government has made promises about reforming the ISA in the past, only to kill the reform proposals once the pressure was off.

"This time the government needs to show that it is serious about protecting the rights of detainees," he added.

In view of this, HRW called on the government to publicly announce a target date for introducing legislation to abolish or drastically amend the ISA so that it meets international human rights standards.

Free ISA 11

Meanwhile, the organisation also reiterated its call on the government to release 11 ISA detainees, whose detention orders will expire on June 11. The men were arrested in April 2002 on terrorism charges.

"This is a great opportunity for the government to show that it is on the road to reform. Releasing these men or giving them their day in court will signal that the government has finally gotten the message," said Zarifi.

The ISA, which was initially drafted to battle the communist insurgency, later earned notoriety when it was used against opposition politicians and activists.

Among the more prominent detainees of the security law, which allows for detention without trial, were ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim and current Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang.