Arts group Artists pro Activ will be organising an auction and the sale of limited edition T-shirts on June 15 to show their support for fellow artiste-cum-social activist Hishamuddin Rais who is serving a two-year detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

The events will be held at the premises of joint-collaborator Valentine Willie's Fine Art in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, at 8pm.

Coordinator of the group Kathy Rowland said they also plan to raise funds for Hishamuddin, who also writes a weekly column called 'Dot Mai' in malaysiakini .

"We will use the amount raised to pay Hishamuddin's rent which he can't afford to settle now since he has been detained," she said.

She added that the events were also "an artistic and creative manner for artists to comment" on the use of ISA, which allows detention without trial.

"It is a charity event for Hishamuddin who is a member of this group. We are doing this to recognise the fact that he is an artiste and a performer," she said.

Rowland said three artists, Wong Hoy Cheong, Nur Hanim Khairuddin and Sidney Tan, have designed artworks centering on an anti-ISA theme.

"The designs will be reproduced as limited edition T-shirts and sold at RM50 each."

Celebrity auction

She said that renowned artistes Jo Kukathas and Harith Iskander will be auctioning the original artworks created for the T-shirts.

Hishamuddin, along with three other Keadilan leaders, were sent last Saturday to a permanent detention camp in Kamunting, Perak, for two years, for their involvement in activities detrimental to national security.

A total of 10 reformasi activists, including these four, were detained in a police round-up which begun on April 10. Two others have been released by the police while two others were ordered by the court to be released. Two other detainees are still in police custody, undergoing the initial 60-day investigative period.