The habeas corpus application to free DAP National Organising Secretary, three-term MP for Seputeh and Selangor Senior Exo for Investment, Trade and Industry Teresa Kok from arbitrary and wrongfully detention under the infamous Internal Security Act (ISA) would be filed at Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in Kuala Lumpur at 12.30 pm tomorrow.
The application will be filed by Teresa’s lawyers, DAP National Chairman and MP for Bukit Gelugor, Karpal Singh and Central Executive Committee Member and MP for Puchong Gobind Singh Deo.
Let all friends and supporters of democracy and freedom show up at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex tomorrow to demonstrate our support, sympathy and solidarity with Teresa at this hour of trial – both for her and the nation.
A three-prong international-level “Free Teresa Campaign” will be launched in the next few days to secure the support of parliamentarians in ASEAN, the Commonwealth and the World Parliaments for her immediate and unconditional release.
It is no exaggeration to say that public confidence in the Abdullah administration, which had been going south without pause since the March 8 “political tsunami”, has taken a sharp plunge in the past 48 hours since the flagrant and cynical abuses of power in the recent spate of ISA arrests.
Although senior Sin Chew reporter Tan Hoon Cheng has been released after less than 20 hours of ISA detention, while Teresa Kok and Raja Petra Kamaruddin are still under incarceration, Tan’s release has not in any manner mitigated the nation-wide outrage demanding the repeal of the ISA and the punishment of those responsible for such gross excesses of power and abuses of human rights.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said Tan had been detained under the ISA for her personal safety. Hamid deserves to get into the Malaysian Book of Records for coming out with a reason for a government action which is unanimously rejected and laughed at by Malaysians and the world for being “utter bunkum”.
If Tan had been detained under the ISA for her own safety, isn’t Hamid being most irresponsible bordering on being criminal and endangering her life in releasing her after 20 short hours?
Will the Home Minister direct the Penang Police to give Tan 24-hour police protection because of her unique status as the only ISA detainee arrested to protect her safety?
Furthermore, how can other Malaysians avail themselves of the ISA facility to get police protection?
(Speech by at the Candlelight Vigil for ISA detainee DAP MP and Selangor Senior Exco Teresa Kok at her Seputeh service centre, Jalan Kuchai Lama. Kuala Lumpur on Sunday 14th September 2008 at 7pm)