34 NRD staff arrested under ISA since 1980
Beh Lih YiPublished: Mar 28, 2005 9:47 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
A total of 34 National Registration Department (NRD) employees have been arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) from 1980 to date, said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today.
A total of 34 National Registration Department (NRD) employees have been arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) from 1980 to date, said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today.
In a written parliamentary reply, the premier, who is also internal security minister, said they were detained over their involvement in issuing various documents to illegal immigrants.
He reiterated that the ISA has been invoked 'appropriately and carefully' to curb elements that can be prejudicial to national security.
"The government is not planning to charge them in open court since their detention under the ISA clearly provides for detention without trial," he said in the one-page reply, which did not provide any other details of the arrests.
The premier was responding to questions from Wilfred Madius Tangau (BN-Tuaran) on the number of NRD employees held under the ISA and Shim Paw Fatt (BN-Tawau) who asked why the government did not charge them in court to unveil their modus operandi.
Forged documents
In February, several NRD and Immigration Department personnel, were arrested under the security law for allegedly issuing forged documents to human trafficking syndicates.
According to Home Minister Azmi Khalid, the arrested NRD staff had issued the syndicate with permanent residency cards that were mainly issued to Chinese nationals.
Last year, two immigration department officials were held under the ISA for allegedly supplying Malaysian passports to a syndicate which then sold them to foreigners.
Identity cards are reportedly sold for about RM25,000 to RM30,000 each.
Anti-ISA lobbyists have condemned the arrests of the NRD staff under the ISA, saying the government could invoke other laws that deal specifically with such crimes.
In a written parliamentary reply, the premier, who is also internal security minister, said they were detained over their involvement in issuing various documents to illegal immigrants. He reiterated that the ISA has been invoked 'appropriately and carefully' to curb elements that can be prejudicial to national security.
"The government is not planning to charge them in open court since their detention under the ISA clearly provides for detention without trial," he said in the one-page reply, which did not provide any other details of the arrests.
The premier was responding to questions from Wilfred Madius Tangau (BN-Tuaran) on the number of NRD employees held under the ISA and Shim Paw Fatt (BN-Tawau) who asked why the government did not charge them in court to unveil their modus operandi.
Forged documents
In February, several NRD and Immigration Department personnel, were arrested under the security law for allegedly issuing forged documents to human trafficking syndicates.
According to Home Minister Azmi Khalid, the arrested NRD staff had issued the syndicate with permanent residency cards that were mainly issued to Chinese nationals.
Last year, two immigration department officials were held under the ISA for allegedly supplying Malaysian passports to a syndicate which then sold them to foreigners.
Identity cards are reportedly sold for about RM25,000 to RM30,000 each.
Anti-ISA lobbyists have condemned the arrests of the NRD staff under the ISA, saying the government could invoke other laws that deal specifically with such crimes.
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