THIRTEEN JI SUSPECTS HELD UNDER ISA

By : SHANNON TEOH (TMI)

CONFIRM.....Ismail said seven of the 13 arrested were Malaysians.

POLICE said yesterday, 13 suspected Jemaah Islamiah (JI) members were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Sabah earlier this week, despite the government’s pledge in September to repeal the controversial law.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said the 13, which include seven Malaysians, were arrested in Tawau after “our intelligence reports and investigation detected efforts to revive a militant movement.”

Sabah police earlier said that 10 Islamic activists were arrested on Monday, and were reported to be PAS members or supporters.

“If not curbed, their actions can threaten and undermine national security,” Ismail said in a brief statement today, clarifying that the operation had lasted from Monday to yesterday.

Sabah PAS commissioner Mohd Aminuddin Aling had questioned the arrests, which he said were made without warrants, notice or any prior information.

“Police should clarify the real situation so the news of the arrests will not be misinterpreted and raise negative assumption of those detained,” he said.

“Police should clarify the real situation so the news of the arrests will not be misinterpreted and raise negative assumption of those detained. People are shocked by the ISA detentions,” he said.

Gerakan Anti-ISA (GMI) said today that several of those arrested were tuition teachers and SMK Kinabutan Islamic studies teacher Mohd Nazri Dollah.

In his Malaysia Day address, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had promised a raft of reforms including repealing the ISA to give the public more freedom.

But the prime minister later said the repeal of the law that allows for preventive detention without trial will only take place next year after two new laws are drafted to replace it.

Najib’s promises of reforms, which also include doing away with annual permits for print media and a parliamentary panel on electoral improvements, came after widespread condemnation over the crackdown on the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally.

Police dispersed tens of thousands who poured into the capital to call for free and fair elections, using water cannon and tear gas in chaotic scenes that saw over 1,500 arrested, scores injured and the death of an ex-soldier.