UDPATED
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah SaniPUTRAJAYA, Sept 15 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein announced the release of five Jemaah Islamiah (JI) suspects from Internal Security Act (ISA) detention this evening.
All five of the detainees are Malaysians, and they were released with conditions.
With their release, there are now only nine more persons held under the ISA. Only four are Malaysians. The rest are from Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Mas Selamat Kastari of Singapore.
Mas Selamat, a JI suspect and Singapore’s most wanted terrorist was captured on April 1 while hiding in Johor after escaping from detention in the island nation.
“I am satisfied that the detainees that I mentioned had shown positive response to the rehabilitation and that they have shown regret and realization of their actions.
“I really hope that the release of the detained could be done before we celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri so they can be together with their children and relatives,” Hishammuddin told reporters at his office here.
The five released are Abdullah Daud, detained for 7 years 6 months, Mat Sah bin Mohd Satray, detained for 7 years and 3 months, Ahmad Kamil bin MD Hanapiah detained for 2 years and 4 months, Mohd Nasir bin Ismail @ Hassan, detained for 2 years and 4 months, and Muhammad Amir bin MD Hanapiah, detained for 2 years and 4 months.
In April, a 13 ISA detainees were freed, including five members of the outlawed Hindraf organization, soon after Najib took office.
The government is also undertaking a review of the ISA, and is expected to introduce amendments to relax the law which allows for detention without trial.
The ISA has come under string public criticisms in recent years, with the opposition maintaining that it is used to silence critics of the government.
Activists also opposed the law because it gives wide discretionary powers to the authorities to detain individuals.
A recent anti-ISA public demonstration saw thousands of Malaysians go to the streets in Kuala Lumpur before police crushed the rally.
Earlier, Hishammuddin held discussions with the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), Muslim Lawyers Association of Malaysia and Muslim Malaysia and Syarie Lawyers Association of Malaysia on the review of the ISA.
“We discussed how we can determine whether it is true or the perception that this act is cruel and causes the authorities to consider any other interest besides national interest.
“It was hard to find a balance between national interest, national security and civil liberties. The discussions that we have had today, I feel that we are on the right track,” he said.
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