We will use Act against street protestors if we have to, says PM

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By JANE RITIKOS

PETALING JAYA: The Government will use the Internal Security Act (ISA) against street demonstrators who threaten national security and disrupt racial harmony if necessary, warned the Prime Minister. “If there are reasons for us to use it, we will use it,” Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stressed. He was commenting on illegal street demonstrations held in Kuala Lumpur recently, including the latest by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which claims to be fighting for the Hindus in Malaysia. Abdullah said using the law, which allows for detention without trial, would be preventive action to spare the country untoward incidents that could affect its peace and national security.  “The ISA is there, if the situation warrants it, it will be used,” he told reporters at the RMAF air base in Subang here upon his return from Cairo yesterday. On calls by certain quarters for the ISA to be invoked against illegal street demonstrators, Abdullah said: “I am very surprised that people want the ISA. I thought they never wanted it.”  The police, he said, would decide on the appropriate action to be taken. 

On rallies being planned for next month, he said he would leave it to the police to assess whether they would be a threat to national security. The annual Human Rights March organised by the Bar Council human rights committee is planned for next month. 

Abdullah also warned that action would be taken against those who download and distribute the memorandum signed by Hindraf legal adviser lawyer P. Uthayakumar addressed to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, which had been published in the Internet. The memorandum alleges persecution of Malaysian Indians. He said the Government acknowledged freedom of the Internet but action could be taken against those who misuse it to spread allegations against the Government.  The memorandum appeals to Britain to refer Malaysia to the World Court for crimes against ethnic Indians. It also claimed that “100 over Indians were slashed and killed by the Umno-controlled Malaysian government in the Kampung Medan mini genocide”. To this, Abdullah said that if Hindraf had indeed made such claim, Umno would act. “We want to know what proof they have (to support their claim). This is a serious accusation because they say it was Umno,” he said. 

On Hindraf’s action, he said: “They want to kiss the orang putih (British). They want the orang putih to take action because they are not satisfied with us”. Abdullah said Hindraf got support from the Indian community who thought they would each get RM1mil in compensation from its class-action suit filed against the British Government for bringing Indians into Malaya to work as labourers. The Prime Minister also said that everyone must realise that accusations against the Government were made because certain people thought that the election was around the corner, and this was the case in every elections. “But we hear what they say. Some of the demands are in the process of being addressed while some have been addressed but they are still harping on it,” he said. 

On Cameron Highlands MP S.K. Devamany’s comment in Parliament that the Hindraf demonstration showed there was frustration at the lower levels in the community, Abdullah said the Government must be fair to all. “If we focus on the interest of one group, others will be jealous, others will complain,” he said.