The police have given their commitment to the National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) that it would allow the latter's commissioners to visit the 10 Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees, before the 60-day period of their detention expires.

Suhakam's chairman Musa Hitam said today the commitment came about following a closed- door meeting with the police held at the commission's headquarters in Menara Tun Razak yesterday.

The 'familirasation meeting' saw the presence of the Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai accompanied by several top-ranking officers. They met 11 Suhakam commissioners to exchange views on the commission's Annual Report for 2000.

However, Suhakam commissioners, when contacted later, remained tight-lipped about the issues raised in the meeting which Musa described as "very good" and where "things were discussed in a frank manner".

May not cooperate

Meanwhile, a reliable source told

malaysiakini that the police delegation was pressed by the commissioners about visiting the ISA detainees but were told not to worry as the detainees were "alright".

The police explained that a visit would be arranged once investigations are wrapped up adding that a visit now would interfere with investigations, said the source.

According to the source, the police reasoned that the detainees may not cooperate if they discover that Suhakam commissioners were coming to visit them.

Another source claimed that the commissioners tried their best to get the police to allow them to visit the ISA detainees. "They had the answers to all our questions and there were instances of heated exchanges," he said.

In the limelight

Ten political leaders and human rights activists are under ISA detention after police launched a crackdown on April 10. Following the first seven arrests, police claimed the detainees were planning to topple the government via militant means.

Those detained are: Keadilan leaders Tian Chua and Dr Badrul Amin Baharom; party Youth leaders Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, Saari Sungib, N Gobalakrishnan, Abdul Ghani Haroon and Lokman Noor Adam, webmaster of Free Anwar Campaign website (Freeanwar.com) Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin, human rights activist Badaruddin Ismail; and social activist-cum- malaysiakini columnist Hishamuddin Rais.

Today's meeting, the second between the police and Shuhakam since the latter's inception in April 1999, was attended by all its commissioners except for two.

Suhakam, set-up to look into matters concerning human rights has been shoved into the limelight with the ISA crackdown and has been assailed with criticisms from all quarters, including the prime minister.

However, one of its commissioners, Anuar Zainal Abidin had said following the ISA arrests, that its (the Commission's) "hands were tied" as far as the matter was concerned.