UPKO also wants ISA Reviewed

Daily Express, Sabah, Malaysia -- News Headlines

Upko also wants ISA reviewed  23 September, 2008 Kota Kinabalu: United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) has joined its three other Barisan Nasional (BN) counterparts MCA, Gerakan and MIC in calling the Government to review the Internal Security Act (ISA). Its Secretary-General Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau said the party is concerned in the way that the ISA is being indiscriminately used by the authorities. He said as an example there were several individuals detained under the ISA for a purported involvement in a 'Project IC' in Sabah some years ago but "all it did was to inflict suffering to the individual concern and their familiesÉbut nothing was done to make sure the identity cards issued under the said project is invalidated." Responding in a statement on the report in newspapers quoting Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar saying ISA not used for politics report in national papers today, Madius said the party also support the position taken by former de-facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim that the ISA should only be used against those who posed a threat to national security, such as terrorists. "Clearly in the case of Seputeh MP, Teresa Kok, and blogger, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, and Sin Chew Daily reporter, Tan Hoon Cheng, there are so many other public order laws that can be used against them if, at all, there is a case to do so," he said. The party also most welcomed Kok's release from the ISA detention.