Author of notorious Internal Security Act passes on
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Author of Malaysia's notorious Internal Security Act died in Britain- report
The Associated Press
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Reginald Hugh Hickling, a British lawyer, author and professor who drafted Malaysia's notorious Internal Security Act used to detain scores of suspected criminals without trial, has died, local media reported Wednesday.
Hickling, 86, died after a short illness on Feb. 11 and is survived by his wife Beryl, three children and 12 grandchildren, the New Straits Times reported Wednesday.
Hickling served as the Assistant Attorney General in Malaysia's Sarawak in 1950, then a British colony, and later assisted in the drafting of the Malayan, now Malaysian, constitution for the country's independence from Britain in 1957.
He maintained in his writings and interviews that when he drafted the Internal Security Act in 1960, he did not foresee that the law could be arbitrarily used to detain suspects.
The law, which allows indefinite detention without trial, was used briefly against former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim following disagreements with his mentor, former leader Mahathir Mohamad.
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Other prominent victims have been opposition politicians, rights activists and suspected Islamic militants.
Currently, some 30 people are being held under the Act, mostly suspected Islamic militants allegedly linked to regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah and alleged to have been plotting attacks to create a region pan-Islamic state and overthrow the government.
The same law has been used in neighboring Singapore to detain terror suspects, which was formerly part of Malaysia.
"I could not imagine then that the time would come when the power of detention, carefully and deliberately interlocked with Article 149 of the Constitution, would be used against political opponents, welfare workers and others dedicated to nonviolent, peaceful activities," he wrote in 1989, according to the New Straits Times.
Article 149 of the Malaysian Constitution stipulates "special powers" for parliament against "subversion, organized violence, and acts and crimes prejudicial to the public" and powers during a declared emergency.
International rights groups have denounced the Act, which they say has been widely abused by authorities in both Malaysia and Singapore.
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http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/28/asia/AS-OBIT-Malaysia-Security-Law-Author.php -
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Originally posted by LazerLordz:"I could not imagine then that the time would come when the power of detention, carefully and deliberately interlocked with Article 149 of the Constitution, would be used against political opponents, welfare workers and others dedicated to nonviolent, peaceful activities," he wrote in 1989, according to the New Straits Times.
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ISA for terrorists(real ones).
None of that crap that they like to feed to the public please.
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Is he saying this to a particular person?Originally posted by LazerLordz:"I could not imagine then that the time would come when the power of detention, carefully and deliberately interlocked with Article 149 of the Constitution, would be used against political opponents, welfare workers and others dedicated to nonviolent, peaceful activities," he wrote in 1989, according to the New Straits Times. -
ISA was at first justified on the ground of protecting citizens against armed uprising by communism.Originally posted by LazerLordz:ISA for terrorists(real ones).
None of that crap that they like to feed to the public please.
If that has been the justification, then as soon as communism has subsided or collapsed, ISA should have been scrapped.
Because it was not scrapped, it has been used on civilians who merely opposed the government of the day for check and balance and accountability of government.
To contain terrorism, we have other laws which are just as good and effective short of giving undue power to the state to pursue its own private agenda. -
More than one, for sure.Originally posted by Hogzilla:Is he saying this to a particular person?
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C'mon lah, if gahmen said, "Chee Soon Juan is a terrorist, let's use ISA" You also lan lan.Originally posted by robertteh:ISA was at first justified on the ground of protecting citizens against armed uprising by communism.
If that has been the justification, then as soon as communism has subsided or collapsed, ISA should have been scrapped.
Because it was not scrapped, it has been used on civilians who merely opposed the government of the day for check and balance and accountability of government.
To contain terrorism, we have other laws which are just as good and effective short of giving undue power to the state to pursue its own private agenda.
As if 146 will publish news that defend Chee as a non-terrorist.... -
It won't be easy to play spin doctor on this one. The MIW are not that dumb, unless they want to see whatever shred of credibility left go down the drain.Originally posted by Hogzilla:C'mon lah, if gahmen said, "Chee Soon Juan is a terrorist, let's use ISA" You also lan lan.
As if 146 will publish news that defend Chee as a non-terrorist....
OT: Time to reach out to the offline people with easily recordable podcasts in mandarin and dialects. -
This is real kind to Sg govt! -
In the 1st place, LKY's idea of breaking with the Queen was rather hasty.Originally posted by pearlie27:
This is real kind to Sg govt!
I'd rather celebrate Queen E's birthday in June than National Day in August.
Dunno why Russia didn't take a leaf from the Malaysians. Chechnya has been such a pain and they still wanna hold on to the land like some expansionist baron. USA's placement of missiles in former Warsaw Pact nations is justified. -
