Opposition MPs have questioned the re-arrest of former Master’s student Siti Noor Aishah Atam under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma), pointing out that the 12 books upon which her arrest was based are not banned books.

Condemning the "cruel" act to detain Aishah, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) MP Siti Mariah Mahmud said the 12 books, which tell the stories of terrorist groups, have not been banned by the Home Ministry.

The lawmaker asked how, therefore, could anybody be arrested for the possession of these books.

"I (also) do not agree with preventing anyone from reading. This is a form of madness. You should encourage the rakyat to read," she said at a press conference in the Parliament building today.

Urging Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to release  Aishah, Siti Mariah (photo) said the government should stop such scare tactics.

"We don't have a problem with arrests made under Sosma, but there must be proof. If it's just based on suspicions, it's cruel."

Siti Mariah’s party colleague, Kuala Terengganu MP Raja Kamarul Bahrin, pointed that out despite Aishah’s detention a year ago, the books listed in the charge sheet against her were still not banned.

What about others having these books?

Decrying this as “double standard”, Raja Kamarul said this was because others, therefore, could be in possession of the books.

“Why are we allowed to have these books and action is not taken against us?” he queried.

Aishah was re-arrested under Sosma on Monday and is being detained at the Kajang Prison.

The arrest and action came after she appeared at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur for the appeal by the deputy public prosecutor against the decision of the High Court in acquitting her in September last year for the possession of the 12 books.

Aishah, 29, was first arrested in March last year, under Section 130JB of the Penal Code and Sosma, for the possession of the 12 books that are allegedly related to terrorist groups.

The following month, she was charged in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, where she pleaded not guilty to the possession of the books, after which the case proceeded to trial.

The former Universiti Malaya Master’s in Usuluddin (Islamic Studies) student told the court that she was using the books for her Master’s degree research.

After her arrest in March last year, Universiti Malaya dismissed her, for failing to attend classes.

In September last year, the High Court acquitted and released Aishah on all the charges, after no prima facie case was established against her.

On the same day she was acquitted, Aishah was re-arrested under Poca and detained for 60 days.

Upon her release under Poca, she was put under house arrest, with an electronic monitoring device attached to her. She was also not allowed to travel out of her district of Sura in Dungun, Terengganu, without police approval.