PRM President: Public's Suspicions Over Abolishment of ISA Due to Govt's Low Credibility

PRM President: Public's Suspicions Over Abolishment of ISA Due to Govt's Low Credibility

by Dajmarizal Zolkipli

DAMANSARA, 22 SEPTEMBER, 2011: Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) president Dr Rohana Ariffin said that the public’s suspicions over Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s recent announcement to abolish the Internal Security Act (ISA) is mainly due to the low credibility of the ruling government.      Dr Rohana however believes that the repealing of the ISA is a positive move for a better democratic country.   “In the next couple of years, if the government is sincere and the ISA is abolished, then it is a very positive move towards the betterment democracy of Malaysia,” Dr Rohana said. “The government have been using a lot of oppression tools of laws in its 54 years of ruling the country. So when the government gives the ISA up, the people becomes highly suspicious and think that this might be a political ploy for general elections, whenever it is it might be held,” she added.   She also said she is certain that Najib will keep to his promises to repeal the ISA along with other oppressive laws seeing as the government currently needs to improve its credibility. “The credibility of the government is rather low at the moment, especially in the urban areas therefore I am sure that the announcement made by the prime minister will go through,” said Dr Rohana. She added that even if the government having two-third of the seats in parliament, its proposal for the abolishment of the ISA will still go through as opposition MP’s would be debating against it should the government make a U-turn. “Politics in the country politics has changed since the last general election in 2008. The government cannot afford to be flip flopping as, in the parliament, there are other MPs that will debate for the abolishment causes, and the civil society and the third force will surely be holding protests if the announcement to abolish the ISA didn’t go through,” said Dr Rohana. “The public now must change their mindset knowing that the opposition will do their best in ensure that the abolishment of the ISA will become a reality,” she added. Dr Rohana also welcomes the two new laws that will be proposed by the government to substitute the ISA. “We need a preventive law, because if we don’t have it, the country will be exposed to terror,” said Dr Rohana. “But the two laws must not be arbitrary. We need a new law that is clear, not like the ISA,” she added. - mD - Malaysian Digest, 22/9/2011, PRM President: Public's Suspicions Over Abolishment of ISA Due to Govt's Low Credibility