FAC News - Friday, June 21, 2002 8:19 AM

SUHAKAM INQUIRY ON THE ISA: ISA detainees demand Friday prayers

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s (Suhakam) public inquiry was told that, in the past, Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees in the Kamunting Detention Center were allowed to perform their obligatory Friday congregational prayers but, now, this is no longer allowed.

Suhakam, which sat on 18 and 19 June 2002, conducted the public inquiry to hear complaints from the detainees as to how they are being treated and the conditions of their detention.

It is the duty of every Muslim male to perform their congregational Friday prayers and one is not allowed to skip it for more than three consecutive weeks explained one detainee. He, however, has missed his Friday prayers for 50 consecutive weeks, and this is certainly not allowed in Islam.

The detainees could not understand why their annual Hari Raya (Eid) prayers, which are optional, are allowed, whereas the compulsory weekly Friday prayers are not. How can the optional Hari Raya prayers, which are not compulsory, be permitted, while the detainees are barred from performing their compulsory Friday prayers?

Even in the US, prisoners are allowed to perform their Friday prayers, argued the detainees. Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad has said that Malaysia is a fundamentalist Islamic nation, quipped the detainee. If so, then how come they are not free to fulfill their religious obligations?

The detainees also said that their family’s financial needs are not being looked into while they are under detention. Many of the detainees’ wives do not work and, since they had been detained, their families have found it difficult to make ends meets.

Other detainees related that their wives had been sacked from their jobs because their husbands had been detained and they are now unemployed. Other wives had been evicted from their houses because their landlords do not want ISA detainees as their tenants.

The detainees felt it is the duty of the government to support their families since it is the government that has detained them thereby causing them this hardship.

Suhakam had no replies to these questions other than it would raise this matter with the authorities.