DanielYKL

 

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The Arrest of Tan Hoon Cheng 

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar later claimed that the journalist was arrested because her personal safety was under threat.

Syed Hamid justified Tan’s detention under the ISA with the reason that it was part of the government’s preventive measure “to ensure her safety”.

 ”We have no intention of holding a reporter as after all she was just taking notes of the comments made by a certain party that led to a public debate.

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The Arrest of Teresa Kok 

The minister added that Kok’s arrest was linked to her comment over the mosque and the morning prayers which had allegedly “created public disorder and problems”.

Syed Hamid also stressed the government was “not making arrests just for the sake of arrests.”

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The Arrest of Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK)

On Sept 6, Syed Hamid had warned that RPK, who edits the popular news portal Malaysia Today, could be charged under the ISA for comments allegedly insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad.

According to Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, the 58-year old father of five would be detained under Section 73(1) of the ISA, which allows for detention of up to 60 days.

“The police will do an assessment during this period and if they feel he should be held more than 60 days, the police will then refer to me,” Syed Hamid was quoted as saying by The Star.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar last night signed the detention order for the blogger to be held under section 8(1) of the tough security law. Under the Act, the initial two-year detention period can be renewed indefinitely.

“The act by the minister to sign the section 8 order yesterday is completely unacceptable,” said Raja Petra’s lead lawyer Malik Imtiaz.

“the arrest was issued last night to avoid the consequences of this habeas corpus”.

Meanwhile minister Syed Hamid confirmed Raja Petra’s detention under the ISA, stating that he was satisfied with the reasons given by the police for the blogger’s detention.

“The detention is due to Raja Petra’s articles that ridiculed Islam which could arouse anger among Muslims.

“The police had recommended his detention and after going through the papers, we are satisfied that there are strong grounds for him to be further detained for two years (in Kamunting),” he said.

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The Arrest of RPK, Teresa Kok and Tan Hoon Cheng 

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar has made a U-turn remark on a that he was not involved in the detention of three individuals under the Internal Security Act (ISA) last Friday.

According to a front-page report today in Malay daily Utusan Malaysia, Syed Hamid now said he had approved the detentions on behalf of the government, in carrying out his duty as a cabinet minister and not as any ‘outsider’

Syed Hamid said the ISA crackdown was a government decision and no minister, including Zaid, should question it.

At the time, the minister reportedly said: “Under this action, the police need not refer to me. It’s their discretion and their assessment of what happened. There has been no malice on their part.”

He had also stressed he had not interfered with the police decision although he had been informed of the move.

“I am a minister. I am a politician. If I start to interfere, then people will say I have a political motive. It will send the wrong signal. I cannot interfere. This has to be done in accordance with the police exercise of their powers,” he had said.

When asked by reporters today, Syed Hamid argued that his main job as home minister was to ensure the “security and safety” of the country.

“But when the need arises and action has to be taken, it will be done. Don’t speculate because while the prime minister was right about the security threats, there is no need to discuss (future arrests) now.”

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The Arrest of Kickdefella

I don’t need to comment on this as the arrest was conducted according to the law. If anyone should comment on this, it should be the police,” said the minister, whose portfolio includes overseeing the police force in Malaysia.

“Usually, we don’t know the details (of the arrests). So long as they do it in accordance to the law, the rest, we should leave it to the courts,” he added.

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