KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—Sixty one years after British colonial authorities passed a “temporary” law in Malaysia that allows police to detain suspects in security threats, human rights groups are fighting back, and winning awards for doing so.
The Internal Security Act (ISA) was passed in 1960 by the Malaysian government in suppressing the communist rebellion. Today, the law is still on the books and according to Human Rights Watch, is a recipe for abuse.
Under the preventative detention law, police can detain suspects without trial or criminal charges by the order of the home minister. Any person who is suspected of posing a threat to the security of the country can be detained for a period of 60 days to two years and is extendable thereafter for further periods not exceeding two years at a time.
