Word: isas
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...ISA, effective since 1960, was originally intended to deter Communist insurgency. Tunku Abdul Rahman, prime minister at the time of Malaysia's formation, pledged that "the immense powers given to the government under the ISA would never be used to stifle legitimate opposition and silence lawful dissent," according to Asia Watch...
However, many charge that the ISA is being used exactly for these purposes in Sabah. Washington, D.C. director of Asia Watch Mike Jendrzejczyk says, "We believe that these arrests are in violation of international rights prohibiting arbitrary arrest and protecting the right to freedom of expression...
...Asia Watch has urged the Malaysian government to free the ISA detainees and to review the law as a step towards repealing it," he says...
...ISA was amended by the Malaysian parliament, prohibiting courts from hearing habeas corpus petitions by ISA prisoners. Consequently, Kitingan can be held in jail indefinitely...
Mahathir, who doubles as the home affairs minister, is in charge of administering the ISA. Asia Watch reports that he "has acknowledged that the [amendment] was intended to strengthen the hand of the executive personnel, lest they become too 'wary' of detaining people under the ISA...