Hishammuddin says ISA against reporter not justified

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 15 - Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said he personally felt that the Internal Security Act (ISA) should not have been used against Sin Chew Daily reporter, Tan Hoon Cheng, and would be raising the matter at the next Cabinet meeting.

He said although he agreed to the use of the ISA to protect national security, it should not be invoked to "save or protect" any individual, which was given as the reason for Tan's detention.

"As for the other two cases (ISA arrests of Malaysia Today news portal editor, Raja Petra Kamarudin and Selangor executive councillor Teresa Kok), I feel the authorities are in a better position to know the risks they pose. I do not have the information to comment if their arrests were justified.

"But in the context of the reporter, the minister concerned (Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar) has stated the reasons but I personally feel the ISA should not have been used for the reasons he mentioned," he told reporters after launching the book "Malaysia: From Traditional to Smart Schools - The Malaysian Education Odyssey", here today.

Differing from the stand taken by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who yesterday rejected outright the use of the ISA against non-terrorists, Hishammuddin said in a multi-racial country like Malaysia, threats to the nation's security and racial harmony must also be considered.

He said the decision by the government to use the ISA should not be disputed by its members openly, but done instead at the Cabinet.

On the Pakatan Rakyat's plan to topple the Barisan Nasional government tomorrow, Hishammuddin said the people would be able to see and evaluate for themselves the credibility of the PR and its leaders.On reported attempts within Umno to topple Abdullah, Hishammuddin, who is also Umno Youth chief, said if there were such moves, they would be settled within the party.

- Bernama