Family of ISA detainee in dire financial straits

comments     Pauline Puah     Published     Updated

An investment of RM13 million in a paper products factory was lost within months of the detention of businessman Mohd Sha Sarijan under the Internal Security Act (ISA), his wife claimed today.

Wan Hamidah Wan Hamid said she and her seven children - aged between two and 15 years - are now also in danger of losing their house in Ulu Klang, Ampang.

At a press conference called today by the Abolish ISA Movement (AIM), she related her plight which began with the arrest of her husband on Dec 29, 2001, for alleged involvement in terror group Jemaah Islamiyah.

Mohd Sha, 51, has consistently denied the allegations, but his initial two-year detention from Feb 22, 2002 was renewed two years later.

Ten months after he was detained, his business of 25 years ceased operations because of huge losses.

Wan Hamidah said her husband defaulted on loans to banks and friends, leading to the factory being auctioned for RM3 million to partially offset his debts.

However, as he still owes individuals a lot of money, there is a possibility of their house and land being similarly seized.

"Please tell me where my children and I will go if we lose our home? We are being pressured by the bank everyday," she said in exasperation.

Petty trade

Wan Hamidah said that, as a homemaker, she was unable to take over the factory operations because she had no knowledge or skills in printing operations.

"Now I sell pisang goreng, nasi lemak and nasi campur, and do whatever I can to support my family," she said.

Although she wrote about her plight to premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on May 15, she has not received a response.

AIM chairperson Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, who was at the press conference, called on the government to consider the wider implications of detaining individuals without trial.

"It is clear from this case that the ISA is not only torturing detainees and taking away their precious freedom, but also driving their families into the vicious circle of debt and extreme poverty," he said.

The ISA, which was originally enacted to combat the communist insurgency, has since been used to crack down on opposition leaders and activists.

Detainees are held for a period of two years without trial on the orders of the internal security minister. Upon expiry, the order can be extended indefinitely.



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