Human Rights Award for Malaysian Group Against Security Law

By James Chow, Epoch Times, 8 Dec 2009

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—Fifty years after British colonial authorities passed a “temporary” law in Malaysia that allows police to detain suspects in security threats, human rights groups are fighting back, and winning awards for doing so.

The Internal Security Act (ISA) was passed in 1960 to strengthen the British colonials in suppressing the communist rebellion. Today, the law is still on the books and according to Human Rights Watch, is a recipe for abuse.

Under the preventative detention law, police can detain suspects without trial or criminal charges by the order of the home minister. Any person who is suspected of posing a threat to the security of the country can be detained for a period of 60 days to two years and is extendable thereafter for further periods not exceeding two years at a time.

“Those held under the ISA are defined as a group that has virtually no rights, so it is hardly surprising that prison guards treat them as less than human,” said Brad Adams, executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia Division.

The group leading the fight, the Abolish ISA Movement, known as GMI in Malay, won the SUARAM Human Rights Award 2009 at the 20th SUARAM Fundraising Dinner on Sunday.

Representing GMI to accept the award was Norlaila Othman. Her husband Mat Sah Mohd Satray was one of the ISA detainees who was released on Sept. 15 this year—however, his movement is still restricted by authorities, preventing him from attending the award ceremony.

GMI was awarded the human rights awards because of their fearlessness when facing the authorities and their persistent struggle on their cause, according to the event organizer.

Comprised of 83 organizations, GMI was formed in 2001, and has held various public awareness activities including protests, candle vigils, and public forums. The group is coordinated by human rights activists, lawyers, former detainees, and family members of current and former detainees.

In August this year, GMI held a rally to urge the government to abolish the ISA. The rally attracted 30,000 people, and many ISA detainees were released not long afterward.

SUARAM (Malaysian’s Voice), considered one of the leading human rights organization in the country, was established in 1989 upon the release of the last detainees of “Operation Lalang” (Weeding Operation), where 107 opposition leaders and social activist were detained by the government under the ISA in 1987.

“SUARAM has a mission to build a human rights movement in Malaysia using empowerment, advocacy, and solidarity, and our vision is to build a society based on peace, justice, democracy, and human rights,” said SUARAM’s founder, Dr. Kua Kia Soon, during his awards speech.

More than 500 human rights activist and supporters attended the fundraising and awards dinner to pay tribute to human rights defenders who have fought and sacrificed for the improvement of human rights in Malaysia, as well as to raise funds for SUARAM to continue in its work.