Here’s a novel approach to getting the Internal Security Act back on the books: incendiary Malay rights proponent Ibrahim Ali has asked the Federal Government to reinstate the ISA on the grounds that it will protect Malaysia’s ethnic Chinese and Indians from the Malay community’s anger.
The controversial Perkasa leader argued that the ISA, repealed after decades of criticisms hurled against its abuse and disregard for legal due process, would be more helpful to Malaysian Chinese and Indians than it would be for the Malays.
Syed Jamal Zahid of The Malay Mail Online reports that during a forum on the ISA organised by Perkasa on Saturday, Ibrahim said, “Those who wanted the ISA to be abolished was the opposition and certain races. Let me tell you this — the ISA is to protect all Malaysians and not just the Malays.
“Why is this? Because this is a multiracial country. The Malays are the majority. When there is a fight who will win? Of course those with the bigger numbers.
“That is why we need the ISA. It is actually more to protect the Chinese and Indians.”
He also criticised the administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak for abolishing the ISA, saying that it was a politically-motivated move that came at the expense of national security.
Ibrahim said abolishing the ISA and other legislative reforms introduced by Najib were meant to sway the support of moderates towards Barisan Nasional (BN), a tactic he said failed when the BN still didn’t get a two-thirds majority in last year’s general elections.
“It was not a decision made by the security agencies, it was made by the politicos. It was a political decision… and did it restore the two-thirds majority? It didn’t.
“So what now? It was used for Najib to abolish the ISA. It’s not like he even got the votes,” he said.
Najib’s reform package has been under intense scrutiny of late, as more arrests have been made under the Sedition Act 1948, one of the laws Najib promised to repeal more than two years ago. The proposed replacement for the Sedition Act, the National Harmony Bill, has been stalled at the drafting stage.
Calls for the repeal of the Sedition Act have been getting steadily louder, and Professor Dr Azmi Sharom, himself charged under sedition, has initiated proceedings to challenge the constitutionality of the law in the High Court.
See Also:
Human Rights Watch: Sedition Act used to silence opposition
Embattled academician wants to challenge constitutionality of the Sedition Act
