An opposition leader today called on the authorities to lift the restrictions imposed on former ISA detainee Dr Badrul Amin Bahron who was released last weekend.

"Although Badrul has been released from the Kamunting Detention Centre after more than six months under the Internal Security Act, he is subject to undemocratic restrictions which are derogatory of his full political and civil rights as a Malaysia citizen," said DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang.

"Therefore we call on Home Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to remove all restrictions imposed on Badrul to restore his full citizen rights including allowing him to contest in the Keadilan party elections this weekend," Lim added in a statement.

Badrul was released from his two-year detention in Kamunting last Saturday on a recommendation made by the Appeals Board but his freedom was at the expense of his political activities.

On Sunday, Badrul, who was nominated as one of the 20 members of the Keadilan supreme council, told malaysiakini that he may not seek re-election at the upcoming party election on Saturday because of the conditions of his release.

'Unreasonable'

Meanwhile the National Union Of Muslim Students (NUMS) called the restrictions placed on Badrul "unreasonable".

"Those conditions are extreme and would have similar consequences as his detention before this. We call for the restrictions to be abolished and also ask that the government free the other detainees," said NUMS president Mohd Zaidi Aziz in a statement today.

The Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia or Abim said the restrictions were politically motivated, made to protect the interest of certain parties and not in the interest of national security.

"Badrul's release also shows that the accusations made against him are baseless and cannot be proved. The restrictions placed on him only strengthen the belief that the accusations are false.

"With those restrictions, Badrul's 'freedom' has no meaning," said Abim vice-president Abdul Halim Ismail.