HAMID: ISA WILL REMAIN IN PLACE.

KOTA TINGGI: Preventive laws, including the Internal Security Act (ISA), will not be abolished, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

Such laws serve the purpose of maintaining public order, he said when commenting on a claim by PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that Pakatan Rakyat would abolish preventive laws should they rule the country.

“The measure, which was introduced before the country’s independence, has been continued and improved.

“The ISA is not for the purpose of carrying out injustice but to protect the public’s right to live in comfort without fearing for their lives,” he said, adding that the Government could not wait for anything bad to happen before taking action.

He added that Anwar never did anything when he was deputy prime minister and it was easy for the Opposition to promise things than actually implement them.

On the five Hindraf members held under the ISA, Syed Hamid said people should look at what they had done in the first place.

“We cannot wait for people to incite racial and religious feelings that can lead to problems.

“We have also arrested more Muslim activists from the Jemaah Islamiah and Darul Ismaliah,” he told reporters after launching the Kampung Rela feast here yesterday.

Syed Hamid said everyone had the right to express any grievances to the ruling government but it must be done responsibly.

“They must not endanger public order or security when doing so.

“I think the government has a very clean record as actions were taken purely on issues where public order or security of the country could be jeopardised,” he said.

Syed Hamid also called for border patrols to be beefed up to prevent foreigners from entering the country illegally.

On football match fixing, he said sentences on those involved should reflect the seriousness of the offence to overcome the problem.