(Petaling Jaya, Monday): DAP is shocked that the government is continuing with its arbtrary arrests under the Internal Security Act, with the latest victim being the President of Jamaah Islah Malaysia (JIM), Haji Shaari Haji Sungib.
I have been informed that Shaari, 41, was detained by the police under the ISA at Hospital UKM, Kuala Lumpur at about 3 p.m. today. Shaari, who is full-time with JIM, is also consultant for organisation leadership programmes, is married with six children. He is an engineer from Birmingham University and graduated with MBA from Hull University.
DAP protests the continued use of ISA with the latest detention of JIM President and calls on the Prime Minister and Home Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to state whether the renewed use of the ISA marks the second wave of ISA arrests against dissent in the country.
Is Sharri detained under the ISA because JIM is actively involved in GERAK and does this signal the impending arrest of all those active in GERAK activities?
I call on the government to immediately and unconditionally release Shaari, Anwar Ibrahim, Ruslan Kassim, Abdul Malek Hussein and lawyer Zulkifli Nordin under the ISA.
Recent events seem to indicate that the authorities are on the verge of a major crackdown against civil rights and fundamental liberties, as a total clampdown in public meetings of political parties, which will be most unfortunate as this will mark the country sliding into a new dark age on the eve of the new millennium.
It will also give Malaysia another "black eye" to our international image, especially at a time when the country is preparing to host the Asia-Pacific Leaders� Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 15-17.
(12/10/98)