Suara Rakyat Malaysia today refuted a Bar Council statement which accused the human rights NGO of failing to seek its consent in endorsing a private member's bill calling for the repeal of the Internal Security Act.

Suaram's ISA campaign coordinator S Arutchelvan said the bill was endorsed by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Council Legal Aid Centre, which is part of the 81-member Abolish ISA Movement coalition.

The bill, drafted by a number of citizen groups, was submitted to members of parliament, including defacto law minister Dr Rais Yatim, on Aug 1.

According to Arutchelvan, Kuala Lumpur Legal Aid Centre chairperson Ragu Kesavan endorsed the bill and maintained that the centre supported the bill in principle.

"Meanwhile, N Surenderan, who is a member of the management panel, agreed to represent the centre in Parliament together with the other non-governmental organisations," he said in a press statement today.

'Good move'

Yesterday, Bar Council chairperson Mah Weng Kwai contended that Suaram did not seek the council's consent to endorse the bill, and that he was aware of the matter only after the bill was submitted to Parliament.

He lamented that the name of the Kuala Lumpur Legal Aid Centre was included among the 81 organisations which endorsed the bill.

"While the council views the bill as a good move, striving for the abolition of the ISA, any statement issued by the council pertaining to the act should be viewed as made independently of other bodies.

"The inclusion may give the impression that the Bar Council is a political party, non-governmental organisation or a member of Suaram, when it is not," said Mah.

Among those which endorsed the bill were four opposition parties in the Barisan Alternative coalition, women's groups, human rights NGOs and a number of Islamic organisations.

Nevertheless, Mah expressed his hope that the bill would receive a positive response from the members of parliament.

Drafted collectively by 81 NGOs representing politicians, social activists, workers' unions and youth groups, the bill seeks the repeal of the controversial Internal Security Act (1960) and other legislation authorising detention without trial - Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act (1985) and the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance (1969).