The ISA advisory board has rejected police allegations that reformasi detainee Saari Sungib had chaired a secret meeting to plan and organise an illegal assembly deemed to threaten national security and disrupt public order.

According to Saari's wife Aliza Jaffar, the board's chairperson, Ahmad Zaki Husin, rejected the allegations because the police's special branch officers failed to prove that Saari was involved in the meeting.

The meeting was alleged to have taken place on Feb 27 at Kelab Darul Ehsan, Ampang Jaya, attended by six other 'reformasi elements' to allegedly strategise ways to confront police physically and mentally during demonstrations, she added.

"As Saari has been vindicated of this charge, I'm urging Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to release him," she told malaysiakini .

Saari met with the three-member board in the Kamunting detention camp in Perak on Sept 6 and 11 and presented a 200-paged statement to panel members.

The review board is provided for under the controversial Internal Security Act for detainees to appeal for early release.

The findings of the board will be submitted to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for the final decision.

44-year-old Saari is a supreme council member of opposition party Keadilan and a former president of Muslim NGO Jemaah Islah Malaysia. He was arrested under the ISA, which allows detention without trial, on April 10.

Abstain from food

Meanwhile, in a letter to the board on Tuesday, Saari complained that the detention camp's officers Mohd Zawawi Abdul Rahim and Fateh Singh had allegedly "snatched his affidavits" from his lawyers when they came to visit him, and kept the papers for eight days.

"The two officers also created all sorts of problems for me to meet up with my lawyers, wife and children," said Saari.

Subsequently, Saari vowed to abstain from all meals provided by the authorities until he is released.

He said he would only consume food brought by his family and relatives during weekends. He would also rely on biscuits, oats and dates which he was allowed to purchase at the canteen on a weekly basis.

He added he will refrain from communicating with the camp's record office which arranges his meetings with his lawyers and family.

"I will also not accept any treatment from the clinic nor take part in any activities organised by the camp," said Saari.

In his letter, Saari also conveyed a message to the Yang Di Pertuan Agong, saying that his detention is a "victimisation and a cruel act".

"Please also tell the King that I am a true son of the Selangor where my ancestors have toiled in the estates and villages in Dengkil, Olak Lempit, Kanchung Darat, Morib, Sungai Kandis, Meru, Bukit Kapar, Klang, Kajang dan Tangga China," said Saari.

"It is due to their toil and sweat that the Selangor government under your Highness has been able to prosper and develop," he added.

'Non-cooperative action'

Yesterday, Saari and five other detainees mounted a 'non-cooperative action' against camp authorities for refusing to attend to their grouses.

The detainees had sent a letter to the superintendent on Sept 3 requesting a meeting to resolve their complaints relating to their food, medical needs and living conditions.

It is learnt that the authorities have yet to meet with the detainees.

Apart from Saari, the other reformasi detainees are Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua and party's youth leaders Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, Lokman Nor Adam, Dr Badrul Amin Bahron and malaysiakini columnist-cum-filmmaker Hishamuddin Rais, all of whom are serving a two-year detention order at Kamunting.

The others have made their appeals to the board last month.