Internal Security Act
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Internal Security Act in the United States, see McCarran Internal Security Act.
The Internal Security Act (ISA) refers to laws in Malaysia and Singapore. This law originated in the wake of World War II, when a number of countries around the world introduced legislation that severely curtailed the rights of known or suspected communists. The present law was first enacted in 1960.
In practice, both countries have widely deployed the ISA to quash political opposition.
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[edit] History
British colonial Malaya introduced a set of Emergency Regulations in 1948 during the Malayan Emergency in response to a communist uprising. The regulations allowed the police to arrest anybody suspected of having acted or being likely to act in a way that would threaten security without evidence or warrant, hold them incommunicado for investigation and detaining them indefinitely without the detainee ever being charged with a crime or tried in a court of law.
In 1960, three years after Malaya's independence, the Emergency was declared over. However, the Internal Security Act (ISA) was passed in its place with much of the same powers. During parliamentary debate, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman stated that the ISA would only be applied against the remaining Communist insurgents.
The ISA remains in force in both countries. The former Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad commented on the ISA during a BBC interview, "Which one would you prefer, arresting the bomber after the bomb explodes and hundreds of innocent lives are lost or arresting that bomber before the bomb explodes? Do you think we did that just for fun?"
[edit] Malaysia
History of the application of the ISA in Malaysia:
- 1987, Malaysia: Operation Lalang, 106 arrested but only 40 detained for 2 years or more;
- 1998, Malaysia: Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrested for being a threat to national security by organizing massive demonstration after being fired from his position.
[edit] Singapore
On its separation from Malaysia in 1965, Singapore also retained the ISA. Under the ISA, the government has the right to arrest and/or jail an individual without trial.
History of the application of the ISA in Singapore:
- 1963: Operation Coldstore, a joint Malaysian-Singaporean operation to arrest 117 opposition party and labor union leaders, some of whom were detained for up to 17 years;
- 1966, Singapore: Chia Thye Poh, a member of the Barisan Sosialis, detained without trial for 32 years under the ISA, the last nine years under house arrest in the resort island of Sentosa.
- 1982, Singapore: Internal Security Act was use against HSAUWC a.k.a Unification Church, which was subsequently banned.
- 1987, Singapore: Operation Spectrum, 22 activists arrested;
