When there are laws to deal with specific crimes, why are the authorities detaining suspects under the Internal Security Act (ISA) which allows for detention without trial.

This was the question posed by the Anti-ISA Movement (AIM) when questioning the recent ISA arrest of several National Registry Department (NRD) and Immigration Department officers.

The officials were arrested for alleged involvement in forgery of passports and MyKads (identity cards) as well as issuing permanent residency (PR) cards to foreigners.

Home Affairs Minister Azmi Khalid has confirmed the arrests but there are no details on how many officers were involved.

The arrests came after police had seized more than 150 identity cards, including the security-intense MyKad, from foreigners. More arrests of civil servants suspected to be involved are expected.

Violates human rights

In a press statement released today, AIM condemned the government's move.

They also cited the Internal Security Ministry's revelation that a 25-year-old woman has been detained under the ISA for over a month in relation to the case and that the detention was not made public earlier, as strong enough reasons to abolish the act which violates fundamental human rights.

"True, we are concerned with the syndicate's existence and the threat it poses but we regret that the government needs to use the ISA to detain them when there are many other laws - which doesn't violate human rights - that can be used," said AIM president Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh.

AIM commended the government on is efforts to confront the vice but urged them to conduct quick investigations and immediately bring the suspects to face charges in a court of law.

"Wouldn't the truth be better attainable through this process? Then, if they are charged and found guilty for a crime through the process, they will be sentenced in public and wouldn't that deter such activities in the future?" asked Syed Ibrahim.

AIM also expressed concerned that the detainees will not be allowed access to lawyers, which constitutes further rights abuse, and that only certain individuals will be made into scape-goats because of the lack of due-process.

"Certain parties will have the opportunity to cover-up their tracks. Can we trust the government to conduct a thorough investigation? Doesn't the ISA allow for a person to be detained at lengths without evidence? Will they be forgotten and the matter made to fade off?" said Syed Ibrahim.

Fearing the worst for the detainees and their families, AIM has strongly urged the government to reconsider its use of the ISA - an act enacted in 1960 to fight communist-led insurgents - and to immediately release the detainees while preparing to charge them in court.

In the past ISA detainees have reportedly been beaten, abused and held in solidarity confinement in a bid to attain confessions.

"Our integrity and belief in the law must be protected. The ISA clearly does not help in this cause and in fact crushes the integrity of the whole legal system," added the AIM president.

The ISA has been long criticised as diminishing the judiciary's role and the separation of powers as well as checks and balances on the executive. This is due to the absence of effective forms of review to the law and its use.