THE Welfare Department and Baitulmal have approved financial aid to the families of 11 Internal Security Act detainees, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said yesterday.

He said the families of 17 of the 63 detainees had applied for assistance.

All the detainees are being held at the Kamunting Detention Centre in Perak.

"The 11 whose applications were approved will obtain financial assistance from the district welfare office where each family is located. They will also receive some aid from Baitulmal.

"The amount given is based on the number of dependents and the detainee's background," he said in reply to a question from Senator Zamri Yusuf.
Wan Ahmad Farid said four applications for financial assistance were being considered by the Welfare Department.

To a question from Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakar, he said not all former detainees had repeated their offences.

He said some former ISA detainees had gone on to become ministers, one even became a deputy prime minister.

"And, there are some who are close to becoming ministers," he added in jest.

Wan Ahmad Farid said the government used various methods, including counselling, to get the detainees to change their ways.

To Senator Datuk Dr S. Vijayaratnam, he said the government had no plans to abolish the Internal Security Act.

To another question from Zamri Yusuf, he said detainees were allowed to leave the camp in the event of a death in the family or to visit sick relatives.