The government's plan to make Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping the holding place for Islamic State (IS) militant detainees has drawn flak from opposition parties and local residents.

DAP Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming said he planned to launch a mass signature campaign to collect 10,000 signatures to dissuade the government from housing these detainees.

The detention centre, which had been used to house detainees of the Internal Security Act (ISA) since 1973, had severely tarnished the image of Taiping, he said in a statement.

The people in Taiping had waited for four decades to see the Kamunting Detention Centre closed and ISA abolished, he added.

But the announcement by deputy director-general of Prisons Department (security and correctional), Hassan Sakimon, that the centre would house IS militants was shocking, Nga said.

The government had ignored the community's efforts to develop local tourism, he added.

The people in Taiping were kept in the dark about the government's latest plan for Kamunting Detention Centre, he said.

He pointed out that the local authority was preparing a development plan to develop Taiping as a heritage town, he said.

"But BN now plans to make Taiping the only IS detention centre in the country. This is not only contradictory to the development plan, but will have (adverse) impact on tourism and tarnish Taiping's image as a heritage town," he said.

Nga said that from the feedback he received, the local community did not welcome terrorists.

The IS militant detainees are now held at the Simpang Renggam Prison in Johor and Machang Prison in Kelantan.

Pakatan Harapan plans to collect at least 10,000 signatures in two months and submit them to Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who also helms the Home Ministry during the next Parliament sitting, which commences on Oct 17.

Hassan said that the Kamunting Detention Centre, which is now being renovated, is expected to be ready by year-end to enable the detainees to be separated from other prisoners.

Earlier, Nga and a few lawmakers staged a protest outside the Kamunting Detention Centre.

Malaysiakini has sent text messages to Ahmad Fauzi and Johari, who is also Finance Minister II, for their responses.

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