Enough is Enough: The ISA Must Go!

It is important to remember Operation Lalang, which occurred on 27 October  1987, eleven years ago. On that day, 106 Malaysians were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) on the flimsy grounds that they were a threat to national security.  In fact, most of the 106 individuals, among whom were three Aliran members, were loyal and peace-loving Malaysians who were critics of the Mahathir regime and opposed its authoritarian policies.

Though these people were eventually released, they were never charged in court thereby confirming that the government had no case against them. Such an injustice should never be forgotten.

Together with other groups, Aliran vigorously protested against the flagrant abuse of the ISA and called for its repeal.

Alas, eleven years later, the ISA is still hanging over our heads like the Sword of Damocles.

And once again, the ISA is being used to silence critics and deny innocent people their basic rights to natural justice.

The ISA is an obnoxious law which has no place in any civil society and is in conflict with the teachings of all the major faiths.

Enough is enough.  There should be no ifs  and buts, no reviews, no amendments.  The ISA has to go.

Aliran calls upon all loyal Malaysians to support this call and work towards the abolition of this unjust law, which in fact denies us our constitutional rights.
 

Aliran Executive Committee
27 October 1998.