Amendments to ISA will be tabled at coming Dewan Rakyat sitting

2010/02/09

PUTRAJAYA: The proposed amendments to the Internal Security Act (ISA) will be tabled and debated at the coming Parliament sitting, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

He said the draft of the amendments which involved five issues were being scrutinised by the Attorney-General's Office before they were tabled to the cabinet for approval.

He said the proposed amendments on the five issues took into consideration views and feedbacks obtained by the ministry from the relevant parties.

"It is not appropriate for me to announce the amendments as the matter has yet to be tabled to the Cabinet for approval," he told reporters here today.

Earlier, Hishammuddin attended a briefing on the proposed amendments to the ISA with Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz.

The five issues are on the powers of the Minister, period of detention, rights and treatment of detainees, public perception that the ISA is misused for politics and detention without trial.

Hishammuddin said the ISA was not used for politics, but for the country's security.

"There is some blessings to what is happening lately, like incidents involving the ruler, religion and race. Those who previously want us to abolish the ISA are now asking us to use ISA," he added. -- BERNAMA