Detained Keadilan Youth chief Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor told his family during a two-hour visit yesterday to relate a message to the party Youth requesting them to "cool off", said a high-ranking source within the party.

However, the source told malaysiakini today that the message did not "transpire freely" and was more of a public relations exercise similar to what police had done with other Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees.

"It was not Mohamad Ezam's words; it was the same pattern for other detainees. But that was not a real message from a free person," said the source on condition of anonymity.

"He was a person in captivity and had to return to his captors' hands after the visit," added the source.

According to the source, yesterday's visit by Mohamad Ezam's family was closely monitored by the police and hence it was not a "free situation".

When contacted, Mohamad Ezam's wife Bahirah Tajul Aris said her husband told her to convey a message to the party Youth but declined to elaborate.

"He had a message specifically for Pemuda (Youth) but I cannot disclose it," said Bahirah.

It is believed that Ezam has written a message urging reformasi supporters to stop anti-government demonstrations.

She said her husband also told her to be prepared as he had a feeling he would be sent to the Kamunting detention camp in Perak.

The family had visited him at the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters. It was the third such access to the 10 detainees since last Thursday.

Mohamad Ezam was among 10 opposition leaders and human rights activists detained in the ISA dragnet - which allows detention without trial - launched on April 10. Following the initial seven arrests, police said the detainees were planning to overthrow the government through militant means.

Asked how the party Youth will respond to Mohamad Ezam's statement, the source replied, "Why do we have to do anything about it? Like I said, he is not a free man out in a free world."

Meanwhile, another source close to the party told malaysiakini that the Youth exco will meet on Thursday, after which the party leaders will issue a press statement pertaining to Mohamad Ezam's message.

Tea and chocolates

Bahirah described her husband to be "all right physically" when she saw him yesterday. However, she expressed fear that he may have been mentally tortured as he "seemed exhausted".

She said that during the visit, police had served tea and chocolates, but the atmosphere was strained as two policemen kept a close watch.

"They even snapped photographs," she added.

Bahirah also pleaded with the police for her husband's release, saying that their children were extremely distraught over their father's absence.

"My eldest daughter cried in her father's arms when she saw him. My son even asked his father to go home with him when we were about to leave but a policeman told him that his father could not go because he had some work with the police," she said.

To date, police had allowed families of four other detainees to visit them. They are: webmaster of Free Anwar Campaign website (Freeanwar.com) Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin, Keadilan leader Dr Badrul Amin Baharom, and Keadilan Youth leaders Saari Sungib and Lokman Noor Adam.

Five other detainees - Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua, party Youth leaders N Gobalakrishnan and Abdul Ghani Haroon; human rights activist Badaruddin Ismail and social activist-cum- malaysiakini columnist Hishamuddin Rais - have yet to be granted family access.