KL artists join chorus against security law

KL artists join chorus against security law

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): A group of Malaysian artists on Wednesday joined a chorus of opposition to a tough security law allowing detention without trial.

The group, called Artis Pro Activ, expressed dismay at the detention of filmmaker and writer Hishamuddin Rais, one of 10 supporters of jailed former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim arrested in April under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

"Many of us who have known Hishamuddin for years are not convinced at the government's unsubstantiated allegations that he poses a threat to the country," the group said in a statement.

Of the 10 detained under the ISA, police have released two and a judge ordered another two freed nearly two weeks ago.

The government has given police clearance to hold four others for up to two more years while authorities have yet to say what they intend to do with the remaining two.

The artists said they planned an auction of art works and limited edition art T-shirts in the capital Kuala Lumpur on June 15, all featuring an anti-ISA theme.

Malaysia's ISA, whose roots lie in emergency measures intended to combat communist insurgents during British colonial rule until 1957, has come under fire recently with a judge and the national human rights commission among its critics.

Protests against the ISA have spread abroad with rights campaigners demonstrating in Hong Kong, London and Sydney.

Malaysian police have accused detained activists of planning a campaign of violence to topple the government, charges detainees' supporters have challenged them to prove in court.

Anwar is serving 15 years for sodomy and corruption convictions he is appealing and says were fabricated to thwart his challenge to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Jailed Anwar has made a fresh appeal to be allowed to undergo spinal surgery overseas because his condition is deteriorating, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

Counsel Sankara Nair told AFP he had submitted a letter Tuesday to the director-general of prisons for Anwar to be "released under license" and for arrangements to send him to Germany for surgery within a week.

The letter said the former deputy premier would seek legal action to enforce his rights if the prisons department rejected the application.

In another development, Malaysian police have begun an investigation into a senior judge's disclosure that he was pressured by his superior to drop a politically sensitive case, reports said on Wednesday.

High court judge Muhammad Kamil Awang sparked a furor last week when he said he had been ordered by a superior in 1999 to drop a case in the eastern state of Sabah, on Borneo island.

The judge went ahead and ordered a member of the ruling coalition to vacate his seat in the Sabah state assembly after ruling that he won it with the help of "phantom voters".

The New Straits Times said former chief justice Eusoff Chin had acknowledged telephoning Muhammad Kamil, but denied telling him to strike out the petitions by two candidates who were defeated in the Sabah state election.

Muhammad Kamil said other judges in Sabah and neighboring Sarawak had told him they came under similar pressure.