The forthcoming inquiry by the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) into the recent Internal Security Act (ISA) detentions should be open to the public for the sake of accountability and transparency, said DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang today.

"The inquiry should be public... so as not to establish an unhealthy precedent contrary to the fundamental principles of accountability and transparency," he said.

Yesterday, Suhakam commissioner Anuar Zainal Abidin said the inquiry will be closed to the public "to accommodate witnesses who wish to remain anonymous, and matters pertaining to national security would be kept confidential".

Lim said Anuar's reasons for the need to have a closed inquiry were flimsy.

"There are many aspects of the inquiry which are not affected by these two considerations, such as how the ISA arrests were conducted, the detention during the first 60 days under police custody and the current conditions in the Kamunting Detention Centre," he added.

He added that although the commission has inherent powers by law to "admit or exclude the public from such inquiry", these powers should be exercised sparingly or not at all.

Complaints of abuse

The commission announced on July 25 that it would be initiating an inquiry into the recent ISA arrests after receiving numerous complaints on the abuse of the law by the authorities.

The ISA arrests began in April with a swoop on 10 reformasi activists, to pre-empt what the police said was a "militant attempt to overthrow the government". Four were later released by the police - two unconditionally, two by court order - while the remaining six were sent on June 2 to undergo a two-year detention in Kamunting.

Early this month, the police arrested 10 members of the so-called Malaysian Militant Group (KMM) under the ISA, including Kelantan Mentri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's son and several other PAS members, for allegedly trying to overthrow the government through violence.

Anuar said the Suhakam inquiry will look into the use of the ISA in these arrests.

He also said that the police, ex-detainees and families of ISA detainees will be called to testify in the inquiry held to ascertain whether the law has been misused by the authorities and if it was still relevant.