Parti Keadilan Rakyat supreme council member Badrul Amin Baharom said he would never support the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) on anyone, as it was against his personal stand and that of his party.

He said this when asked to clarify a recent three-paragraph report in PAS organ Harakah based on a ceramah in Kelantan.

It quoted him as saying that the ISA should be used on members of the Article 11 coalition because they were 'dangerous' and could threaten the faith of Muslims.

Badrul, a former ISA detainee, acknowledged that he had been speaking on Muslim discontent over the Article 11 coalition's activities, but claimed that he had been quoted out of context.

The coalition has been conducting a signature drive and roadshows on matters related to freedom of religion. Its forum in Penang was, however, disrupted.

"I told the crowd that those from Article 11, in discussing sensitive issues of religion, are trying to threaten social harmony," he said when contacted.

"That aside, I said that if the government was sincere in maintaining national security, it should use the ISA on these individuals. But I meant it in a cynical way, addressed to the government."

He said his cynicism was directed at the government's reluctance to abolish the ISA, which allows for indefinite detention without trial on grounds of threats to national security.

'Not the right time'

To a question, the former International Islamic University Malaysia lecturer said matters brought up by Article 11 need to be discussed, but not in the open.

"Discussion is important, but not (via a ) public forum. Malaysians are not ready for matters that are too sensitive to be discussed openly," he said.

He explained that the US-led war on terror, contention over the conversion of Everest hero M Moorthy to Islam and publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad were still fresh in the minds of Muslims.

"These incidents have stirred Muslim sentiments. For now, it's best to let things cool down. Any mention of Article 11 or the Inter-Faith Commission would be seen as a move against Islam," he said.

Badrul said he was confident that the time will come when all parties will be able to discuss sensitive matters constructively and in a mature way.

"For the time being, we should wait for the situation to calm down. Later, we will try again (to hold discussions). The Article 11 coalition must learn not to be too aggressive, because that would be met by aggression," he cautioned.