The human cost of the ISA 3 December 2008

Her name is Norlaila Othman.

She is the wife of ISA detainee Mat Sah Mohamad Satray, who was detained under the ISA in 2002, suspected of involvement with Jemaah Islamiah.

Last June marked the sixth anniversary of Mat Sah’s detention. Ms. Norlaila was informed that her husband’s detention has been renewed for another two years.

I do not know much of Ms. Norlaila, I have never met her and only recently, I came upon her blog.

Ms. Norlaila, I believe, have three children. She is a single mother, having to take care of her children in the absence of her husband. Yet she is an active member of the Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) an NGO committed to the abolishment of the draconian Act.

Her blog is raw, emotional and it is evident that she’s still learning the intricacies of blogging. Yet she blogs with a mission. Her mission is to create awareness amongst Malaysians on the evils of the Internal Security Act. I urge you to visit her blog and read it for yourself.

Sometimes, Ms. Norlaila cannot contain her anger. Understandably so. But with her, we get a glimpse of the devastating effects the ISA has on people.

Sure, we can scoff at politicians who call for its abolishment as political oppurtinists. We can scoff at lawyers calling for its abolishment as ‘elitist demands’. We can even jeer the resignation of a minister over its arbitary use simply because we do not share his views.

Heck, we can even try to ‘justify’ the ISA as a necessary evil in multi-racial, multi-religious Malaysia.

But put aside our political leanings. Put aside the RPKs and the Anwars and the Najibs and the Syed Hamids and the HINDRAFs and the whatever.

Put aside our prejudices and see the Act for what it is: a draconian Act that has no place in Malaysia. It has no justifications and I have yet to come across anyone who can offer me an acceptable justification for its retention.

What touched me the most was the entries by Ms. Norlaila’s son, Suhaib Mat Sah in 3 parts; Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Excerpts from his posts:

…Saya tidak akan lupa peristiwa Abah dibawa keluar dari rumah kami.Ketika itu saya sedang tidur,tiba-tiba Umi angkat dan letakkan disebelah Abah.Saya buka mata dan bila menoleh pada Abah, saya nampak kedua-dua tangannya bergari.Saya menjerit ketakutan dan menangis .Peristiwa melihat gari di kedua tangan Abah, amat sukar untuk dihilangkan dari minda saya. Walaupun peristiwa itu telah lebih 6 tahun berlalu, ianya ttap segar dalam ingatan…

…Hidup sebagai anak tahanan ISA, amat menekan perasaan.Namun, jika saya pergi demo, tidak kira samada waktu malam atau siang, saya akan rasa kurang sedikit tekanan perasaan…

…Saya juga seronok menulis. Umi dan Abah yang tidak pandai menulis pun kini sudah ada banyak fakta mengenai kezaliman ISA dalam minda mereka berdua…

…Saya juga sering ikut kempen anti-ISA yang Umi lakukan.Vigil, demo, ceramah didewan, ceramah dipadang, kempen pilihanraya dan banyak lagi.Semua itu dilakukan hanya untuk memebritahu, Abah saya, masih ditahan tanpa sebarang bicara di Kem Kamunting…

…Saya terlalu ingin melihat Abah saya dibebaskan supaya saya dapat merasai bimbngan dan kasih sayang seorang ayah.Saya cemburu ,kecewa dan sedih bila melihat orang lain bersama-sama ayah mereka. Saya juga masih ada Ayah(Abah) tetapi , kami dipisahkan oleh akta ISA beratus batu jauhnya dan bertahun-tahun lamanya…

…Saya harap, Menteri Dalam Negeri akan bersikap lebih berperikemanusiaan dan memulangkan Abah kepangkuan kami semula. Saya sangat-sangat rindukan Abah……

Imagine a teenager having to deal with an absent father for the past sixyears and for at least (at least!) two more years. One morning, the police came to his house and took his father away.

No charge, no legal advice, no trial, no judge, no appeal and without certainty as to how much longer will he be apart with his father.

No, the ISA is too evil to be allowed to continue.

Abolish it. Abolish it now or by God face the consequences.