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MHA refutes ex-ISA detainees' statement

How long a person is detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) depends on whether he still poses a security threat to Singapore, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday.

For instance, detainees who refuse to renounce violence were detained for a longer time compared to those who did so, said the ministry in a response to a joint statement by 16 ex-ISA detainees calling for the abolishment of the law.

The detainees, including Barisan Sosialis members Lim Hock Siew and Poh Soo Kai who were detained for close to 20 years each, issued a joint statement on Monday to praise Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s move in repealing the ISA.

Arguing for Singapore to follow suit, they took issue with the length of detention and the role of the ISA Advisory Board. They said political detainees here were imprisoned for far longer periods compared to Malaysia and that the Advisory Board in 1987 did not examine witnesses or evidence.

“The allegation that “the protection accorded by the Advisory Board is spurious, if not a farce” is baseless and unwarranted,” said MHA in its statement, adding that the board “scrutinises every detention case to satisfy itself there are valid security grounds which warrant detention”.

Chaired by the Supreme Court judge, the board examines representations from detainees and their legal counsel, studies the evidence and examines witnesses when necessary, it added.

The elected President also has powers to veto the government’s decision to detain a person against the recommendation of the board.

MHA pointed out, “The board has on several occasions made independent recommendations for the early release of detainees, including three of the sixteen ex-detainees. 

It stressed that the 16 ex-detainees were arrested between the 1960s and 1980s because of their involvement in subversive activities that threatened national security, and not because of their political beliefs.

Nine were actively involved in the Communist United Front activities in support of the Community Party of Malaya while seven of the 16 were involved in a Marxist plot to subvert and destablise Singapore in the 1980s, said the ministry.

During the era of the Communist Party of Malaya, which lasted into the late 1980s, communist insurgencies threatened national security. Singapore also experienced cases of espionage and cases when a foreign power tried to subvert domestic politics.

“Today, we face the threat of jihadist terrorism, not only from Al-Qaeda-linked clandestine groups like the Jemaah Islamiyah but also from self-radicalised individuals,” said MHA.

Pointing to the evolution of the ISA as Singapore’s circumstances, vulnerability and risk tolerance changes, the ministry stated that the “instrument of last resort” has enabled the nation to “counter serious security threats, protect our people, and preserve our racial harmony and social cohesion”.
 
Reiterating the point it made last Friday, the authority said, “It (the ISA) remains relevant and necessary in today’s evolving security environment, for keeping Singapore safe and secure.”