The abolition of Internal Security Act (ISA) in Malaysia announced by Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak during the Merdeka/Malaysia Day speech on 16th September 2011 definitely welcome by many, especially by those who used to suffer from the Act, either arrested and jailed as experienced by many of my friends in mid-1990's, or warned and threatened to be arrested and jailed under the Act such as experienced by me myself.
One interesting thing to observe beyond the welcoming gestures was the responses of the Malaysians to the abolition. As always and expectedly, Ministers and pro-government individuals, political analysts, organisations and parties, either sincerely or otherwise, definitely welcome it with a stereotyped high praise and applause. Statements and attitudes of some of them were so naive and straight forward, let alone the non-existence of analytical components, and not rarely insulting our intelligence.
But such a response too could not be different from amongst the oppositions. Many of them were similarly monotonous and boring. While inevitably has to accept the announcement, detachment from egoism and accusations among many of them was not happening. Thus we read the arguments from some of them that the abolition of the ISA was done as a result of their pressure and an imitation/stealing of the idea consisted in their Buku Jingga, and even requested an apology and compensation from the government, that the abolition should be done a long time ago, and that the government was doing it out of desperation because of the coming General Election.
Not many of them, both the pro-government and the oppositions, went beyond welcoming the abolition of the ISA by showing their curiousity on the Acts that are going to replace the ISA, although this is more pertinent than the `ampu-ism' nature of the pro-government and the `bashing-ism' attitude of the oppositions, for the sake of our beloved Malaysia. We should be anxious of how the new Acts could balance between the avoidance of oppression and the safeguard of the security of Malaysia and Malaysians. This should be the concentration and contribution of all now, I think.
Not many of them, both the pro-government and the oppositions, went beyond welcoming the abolition of the ISA by showing their curiousity on the Acts that are going to replace the ISA, although this is more pertinent than the `ampu-ism' nature of the pro-government and the `bashing-ism' attitude of the oppositions, for the sake of our beloved Malaysia. We should be anxious of how the new Acts could balance between the avoidance of oppression and the safeguard of the security of Malaysia and Malaysians. This should be the concentration and contribution of all now, I think.
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