Aliran at the UN:
Give Us Back Our Loved Ones
I am here because Malaysia’s Internal Security Act has destroyed my family’s security. My husband, Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor [political secretary to former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim] has been detained without trial for the past year. My husband is being detained with five of his colleagues, simply because they believe in human rights and democracy.
As Youth Chief of the National Justice Party, Ezam exposed the widespread abuse of power in the government. He was charged under the Official Secrets Act for this [which carries a maximum of 7 years’ jail and/or fine of RM5,000]. He has also been charged under the Sedition Act and under the illegal assembly law for various “offences” although his main crime was offending those in power.
Last year, the authorities got tired of charging Ezam. They grabbed him under the ISA which does not require him to be charged in court. They interrogated him continuously in solitary confinement for 52 days, without access to lawyers. No one was told where he was or even if he was dead or alive! By the time I got a chance to see my husband, I was shocked he was very thin, pale and sick.
I am taking a big risk in coming here since any Malaysian who dares to criticize the government faces harsh punishment. Yet, I have no choice. I want my husband back. My children want their father home.
Many family members have been constantly humiliated, harassed and persecuted. [We are told that if we “cooperate” and stay quiet, maybe our loved ones may be released.] Our children have been traumatized by the experience. They are too small to understand and are deeply disturbed by the separation from their fathers [and unnecessary restrictions imposed during visits.] The worst agony of all is not knowing when they might be released. The longest ISA detention was 32 years. [Kamaruddin Teh was detained for a total of 32 years without trial under the ISA in the 1960s onwards].
We have no recourse to the courts. [Our applications for a writ of habeaus corpus have been quashed in the High Court.] Our petitions to the government have been ignored. On 10 April, it will be a full year of nightmare for the detainees and their families. These prisoners of conscience will embark on hunger strike to demand their release or to be brought before the courts. [So far, the government has not offered a single shred of evidence to justify their detention.] The hunger strikers also want Anwar Ibrahim to be have safe access to medical treatment [as has been recommended by the National Human Rights Commission. Endoscopic surgery, which is the safest alternative is available in Germany].
The Internal Security Act exists so that a handful of powerful Malaysians can feel secure emotionally, mentally and financially because the rest of us live in fear of arbitrary detention. I have come here not only for my own case to be heard but also to speak on behalf of other victims and other Malaysians. We want human rights and democracy to exist in our daily lives, not just as words on paper. Until my husband and other ISA detainees are given fair treatment and have their fundamental rights restored to them, we will not give up.
On behalf of the families of ISA detainees I appeal to all of you, members and observers of the UN Commission on Human Rights: Speak to the Malaysian Government. Tell them to give us our loved ones back. Abolish the ISA so that Malaysians can enjoy genuine security.
Thank you.
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My name is Bahirah Tajul Aris. I had to leave my three children in Malaysia just for a chance to speak for only three minutes.