Dr M wanted to abolish ISA?

Dr M, Anwar wanted to scrap ISA, says ex-IGP

UPDATED @ 03:09:17 PM 17-02-2011

By Adib Zalkapli

February 17, 2011

Both Dr Mahathir and Anwar (right) had sought to repeal the ISA, said Hanif today. — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — Former Inspector-General of Police Tun Hanif Omar claimed today that he had stopped Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his former deputy, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, from abolishing the ISA.

Hanif, who served as the police chief for 20 years until 1994, said the issue was first raised by Anwar at a security briefing prior to his retirement from the service.

“Anwar said we should abolish ISA, Dr Mahathir said OK,” recounted Hanif at a forum on Parliamentary democracy here.

He said he later urged the two leaders to reconsider their plans, and suggested they merely review the security law.

Hanif also claimed that Dr Mahathir had been consistent in his opposition to the ISA.

“When he became the prime minister, Musa Hitam told me ‘don’t invoke the ISA, Dr Mahathir will not like it’,” said Hanif referring to the former deputy prime minister and home minister in the 1980s.

A total of 106 politicians and activists were detained under the ISA in 1987 when Dr Mahathir was prime minister. His government later removed judicial review from the ISA in 1989.

Hanif recently sought to exculpate Dr Mahathir over the crackdown, saying it was done to avoid a racial riot in Kuala Lumpur.

“I gave the briefing together with Tan Sri Rahim Noor,” said Hanif. Rahim was then the director of the Special Branch.

“The Special Branch was of the opinion that the situation was going out of control. If we did not take action, something more serious than May 13, 1969 would have taken place,” he added.

Hanif said the police proceeded with the crackdown despite opposition from Dr Mahathir, and added that it was his responsibility as the head of the police to uphold the law.

“As a police officer I am answerable to the minister. But my loyalty is not to the minister but to the law,” said Hanif.

Events of the 1987 Ops Lalang crackdown were dredged up recently when Dr Mahathir was quoted in a new book by American journalist Tom Plate as saying that he had met all opposition members before the operation and had assured them that they would not be arrested.

Dr Mahathir also insisted that he had not thought it necessary to arrest the opposition leaders but had no choice but to accept that the police believed otherwise.

TMI