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.