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http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC110917-0000469/ISA-still-relevant,-crucial-to-security--MHA
ISA still relevant, crucial to security: MHA
Updated 10:09 AM Sep 17, 2011
Singapore - The Internal Security Act (ISA) "continues to be relevant and crucial as a measure of last resort for the preservation" of Singapore's national security, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said.
Following the Malaysian government's proposal to replace its ISA with two new laws, Singapore's MHA pointed out in a press statement yesterday that the ISA in Singapore and Malaysia "may have the same roots from the time when both were British colonies, but the two countries and their respective societies have evolved differently over time".
"Accordingly, the ISA in Singapore has evolved and is now different from that in Malaysia," an MHA spokesperson added.
The Ministry pointed out that a person arrested under the ISA in Singapore may be held in custody for up to 30 days after which an Order of Detention or Restriction Order must be issued or else the person must be released unconditionally. "In Malaysia, the period of custody is up to 60 days," the MHA spokesperson added.
Since 1991, the President also has the power to veto the Singapore Government's decision to detain a person if the ISA Advisory Board, which is chaired by a Supreme Court Judge, has recommended the release of the detainee. "This was an additional safeguard enacted by the Singapore Government to prevent misuse of the Act," the MHA spokesperson said.
Malaysia's proposal to repeal the ISA has led to some groups in Singapore to renew calls for the Singapore Government to do likewise.
The MHA spokesperson, however, said: "The Singapore Government has used the ISA sparingly. The ISA has only been used against individuals who have acted in a manner prejudicial to the security of Singapore or to the maintenance of public order or essential services therein. No person has ever been detained only for their political beliefs."
MHA argued that the ISA in Singapore "has only been used to deal with threats of subversion, racial and religious extremism (such as inciting racial or religious hatred, strife and violence), espionage and terrorism".
"These threats continue to be salient today, especially in the last 10 years against the threat of terrorism, where the Government's priority is to act swiftly to prevent an attack from taking place," the MHA spokesperson said.
He pointed out that arrests made under the ISA in Dec 2001 thwarted the imminent suicide bombings against establishments in Singapore that were planned by Al Qaeda operatives assisted by several of the arrested Jemaah Islamiyah members, preventing the loss of innocent lives.
Mr Edwin Tong, who is deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law, pointed out that Malaysia, in place of its ISA, is introducing two new laws to deal with acts of terror and public order. "So, it tells us that the rationale of the ISA is still relevant today," he said, while noting that the Act here serves as "a deterrent" against criminal activities and terrorism in Singapore.
The Workers' Party (WP) pointed out its manifestos - including the 2011 election manifesto - had proposed the abolition of the ISA in Singapore which "would destroy the prospect of any government using the wide ranging powers therein to curtail its critics and opponents".
In a statement last night, WP acknowledged the need for "effective measures against terrorism" and suggested "a dedicated anti-terrorism law to make swift arrests and detain suspects without trial".
Mr Pritam Singh, WP's media team vice chairman, argued that the suspects "must be afforded real avenues to challenge the legality of their arrests" through the courts and an advisory board, and these bodies should be empowered to order the person's release if not satisfied as to the legality of the detention.
Political observer Eugene K B Tan, Assistant Professor of Law at the Singapore Management University, felt "political buy-in for the continued retention of the ISA on our statute books remains crucial".
While he noted the use of the ISA in Malaysia "is invariably seen through political lenses" - with the law widely perceived as a tool used to suppress political dissent and to shore up weakening political dominance of the ruling coalition - the ISA in Singapore is part of the legislative arsenal "used in the most serious of threats to national security".
Asst Prof Tan expects the ISA issue to be discussed by political parties and civil society when Parliament convenes next month. "The Government will have the task of justifying why Singapore's retaining the ISA when Malaysia is about to do away with it. I don't expect the domestic pressure to be a game-changer. The Government will not respond in a knee-jerk manner or succumb to populist tendencies," he added.
ISA still relevant, crucial to security: MHA
Updated 10:09 AM Sep 17, 2011
Singapore - The Internal Security Act (ISA) "continues to be relevant and crucial as a measure of last resort for the preservation" of Singapore's national security, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said.
Following the Malaysian government's proposal to replace its ISA with two new laws, Singapore's MHA pointed out in a press statement yesterday that the ISA in Singapore and Malaysia "may have the same roots from the time when both were British colonies, but the two countries and their respective societies have evolved differently over time".
"Accordingly, the ISA in Singapore has evolved and is now different from that in Malaysia," an MHA spokesperson added.
The Ministry pointed out that a person arrested under the ISA in Singapore may be held in custody for up to 30 days after which an Order of Detention or Restriction Order must be issued or else the person must be released unconditionally. "In Malaysia, the period of custody is up to 60 days," the MHA spokesperson added.
Since 1991, the President also has the power to veto the Singapore Government's decision to detain a person if the ISA Advisory Board, which is chaired by a Supreme Court Judge, has recommended the release of the detainee. "This was an additional safeguard enacted by the Singapore Government to prevent misuse of the Act," the MHA spokesperson said.
Malaysia's proposal to repeal the ISA has led to some groups in Singapore to renew calls for the Singapore Government to do likewise.
The MHA spokesperson, however, said: "The Singapore Government has used the ISA sparingly. The ISA has only been used against individuals who have acted in a manner prejudicial to the security of Singapore or to the maintenance of public order or essential services therein. No person has ever been detained only for their political beliefs."
MHA argued that the ISA in Singapore "has only been used to deal with threats of subversion, racial and religious extremism (such as inciting racial or religious hatred, strife and violence), espionage and terrorism".
"These threats continue to be salient today, especially in the last 10 years against the threat of terrorism, where the Government's priority is to act swiftly to prevent an attack from taking place," the MHA spokesperson said.
He pointed out that arrests made under the ISA in Dec 2001 thwarted the imminent suicide bombings against establishments in Singapore that were planned by Al Qaeda operatives assisted by several of the arrested Jemaah Islamiyah members, preventing the loss of innocent lives.
Mr Edwin Tong, who is deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law, pointed out that Malaysia, in place of its ISA, is introducing two new laws to deal with acts of terror and public order. "So, it tells us that the rationale of the ISA is still relevant today," he said, while noting that the Act here serves as "a deterrent" against criminal activities and terrorism in Singapore.
The Workers' Party (WP) pointed out its manifestos - including the 2011 election manifesto - had proposed the abolition of the ISA in Singapore which "would destroy the prospect of any government using the wide ranging powers therein to curtail its critics and opponents".
In a statement last night, WP acknowledged the need for "effective measures against terrorism" and suggested "a dedicated anti-terrorism law to make swift arrests and detain suspects without trial".
Mr Pritam Singh, WP's media team vice chairman, argued that the suspects "must be afforded real avenues to challenge the legality of their arrests" through the courts and an advisory board, and these bodies should be empowered to order the person's release if not satisfied as to the legality of the detention.
Political observer Eugene K B Tan, Assistant Professor of Law at the Singapore Management University, felt "political buy-in for the continued retention of the ISA on our statute books remains crucial".
While he noted the use of the ISA in Malaysia "is invariably seen through political lenses" - with the law widely perceived as a tool used to suppress political dissent and to shore up weakening political dominance of the ruling coalition - the ISA in Singapore is part of the legislative arsenal "used in the most serious of threats to national security".
Asst Prof Tan expects the ISA issue to be discussed by political parties and civil society when Parliament convenes next month. "The Government will have the task of justifying why Singapore's retaining the ISA when Malaysia is about to do away with it. I don't expect the domestic pressure to be a game-changer. The Government will not respond in a knee-jerk manner or succumb to populist tendencies," he added.
In the past these people were labeled marxist, chinese chauvinist, ......
