An Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee’s father was forced to remove his “problematic” T-shirt in order to meet his son at the detention centre in Kamunting, Perak yesterday.

According to Abolish ISA Movement (GMI) committee member Alizah Jaafar, Abdul Razak, the father of detainee Fadzullah, was wearing a T-shirt that had ‘Abolish ISA’ printed on it.

“A plainclothes officer, who was with the camp’s security personnel, stopped Abdul Razak after we crossed the first security checkpoint and told him that the T-shirt is problematic.

NONE “We told them that since ISA has been abolished, it shouldn’t be a problem. Abdul Razak told them that he didn’t have anything else to wear, but they insisted,” she complained to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today.

Abdul Razak had changed into a white shirt provided by security before he was allowed in, said Alizah, as the “plainclothes personnel” kept harassing him.

Commissioner Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah, who had accepted GMI’s memorandum calling for the immediate release of 45 detainees under the security law, rebuked the act and ticked off the prison guards.

Warning them to act within the scope of their work, he said he will bring the complain to the authorities when Suhakam visit the centre this week.

“Next time if they are not in uniform, and if they don’t show their identification, you are not compelled to follow their orders nor to comply with their instruction,” he said.

“They are civil servants and they should do just their jobs not get involved in politics. Anyone can wear anything as long as it is decent and the authorities can’t say anything about it unless he is stark naked or dress improperly.

“In this situation we have prison guards taking sides, we even have a hospital taking instructions from police officers when its duty is to treat patients,” said Muhammad Sha’ani.

Fadzullah, who has been in solitary confinement for the past two months, is among the nine detainees who are currently staging a hunger strike, demanding for freedom or to be charged for their purported offences.

Detainee getting weaker

Abdul Razak, in the memorandum submitted to Suhakam, said that his son is steadfast on continuing the strike although the latter is “getting weaker”.

He had related to his father that a Home Ministry official, only known as Awang Din, had paid him a visit recently.

“The officer told him to think of himself first instead of the other prisoners. But Fadzullah said he will keep going for the freedom of all the detainees even if he is not released,” read the excerpts of Abdul Razak’s experience in the memorandum.

Fadzullah had also related that Razali Kassan, another detainee who has been under ISA since January last year, was “beaten up” for refusing to end the strike.

anti isa vigil bukit aman 300612 02 Fadzullah and Razali, began the second round of the hunger strike on June 23 following an earlier one in May. They were soon joined by seven other detainees, including several foreigners, on June 26.

Razali ended his strike after he was hospitalised. His family, who visited him yesterday morning, claimed that Razali was beaten up in an attempt to make him end his strike.

In another case, the wife of detainee Mustawan Ahbab was given only 30 minutes to meet her husband as he had related the “abuse” of Razali to her over the telephone.

In submitting the memorandum today, GMI coordinator Syukri Razab urged Suhakam to pressure the Home Ministry for the immediate release of the detainees.

“They are getting weaker and they were assaulted for launching the strike. Visiting hours for families have been reduced from an hour to 30 minutes as punishment for staging the strike,” said Syukri.

He appealed to the commission to act quickly as the detainees are adamant on continuing the strike to their “death”.

However, Muhammad Sha’ani said that they have written to the ministry on the matter but have yet to receive a response.

“We will be visiting the centre this week, and we will record their statements. Hopefully we will be able to meet with the ministry’s secretary-general soon,” he said.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein yesterday said that his ministry will respond to the strike “next week”.

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