FAC News - Thursday, October 25, 2001 7:09 PM

New book on the ISA arrests to be launched

Raja Petra Kamarudin, the Director of the Free Anwar Campaign, was arrested under Malaysia's infamous and dreaded Internal Security Act on 11 April 2001. A day earlier, four other opposition leaders and Reformasi activists were picked up -National Justice Party Youth Leader Ezam Mohd Nor, Supreme Council Members Saari Sungib and Tian Chua, and political activist Hishamuddin Rais.

Within 14 days, five others were added to their ranks -Dr Badrulamin Bahron, Lokman Noor Adam, Abdul Ghani Haroon, N. Gobalakrishnan and Badaruddin Ismail - all National Justice Party leaders and Reformasi activists.

Raja Petra was released 52 days later on 4 June 2001, coincidental or not, on the birthday of His Royal Highness the King - Raja Petra's uncle. Badaruddin was released soon after that, while Gobalakrishnan and Ghani were earlier released by the Shah Alam court when their Writs of Habeas Corpus were heard – the first time ISA detainees have ever been released from detention via court order.

Six of their comrades still languish in the Kamunting Detention Centre though, detained indefinitely at the pleasure of the Malaysian government. When they will be released is still unknown, but the longest serving ISA detainee was held for 23 years before he walked free again.

Within three weeks of Raja Petra’s release, he completed his book about his experience of life under ISA detention called "From Prince to Prisoner". This is Raja Petra's fifth book after "When Time Stood Still", "Ketika Waktu Berdiri Kaku", "The Reformasi Trail" and "Jejak Reformasi".

Raja Petra has just completed another two books called "All in the Game" and "Bidak di Papan Catur (Pawn on a Chessboard)" which chronicles what the ten ISA detainees went through. These new books will be available to the public on Saturday, 27 October 2001, when the Reformists convoy to the Kamunting Detention Centre to protest the ISA and the treatment the six are receiving at the hands of the prison authorities.

The proceeds from the sale of the books will go the families of the ISA detainees to help pay the legal costs for the ongoing Petitions of Appeal they are filing to seek the release of the six in Kamunting.

Photographs of the books can be seen here.

Introduction to The Reformasi Trail can be read here.

Review of From Prince to Prisoner can be read here.

Introduction to All in the Game can be read here.

Prologue of All in the Game can be read here.

More on the Convoy to Kamunting on 27 October 2001 can be read here.