The Internal Security Ministry has extended the detention without trial order of five alleged Islamic militants for another two years, after they had served four years under the draconian security law.

"Family sources had confirmed that five Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees whose detention order expired on Tuesday had been extended," Abolish ISA Movement spokesperson Chang Lih Kang (left) told malaysiakini.

No official reason was given for the extension order, signed by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his capacity as the internal security minister. The detention order is renewable every two years at the discretion of the minister.

The five are Syahrial Sirin, Mohd Faiq Hafidh, Dr Abdullah Daud, Shahril Hat and Muhammad Kadar. They were all held four years ago on suspicion of having connection with the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic Southeast Asian terror group, Jemaah Islamiah (JI).

No real reform

The latest development brings the total of renewals to 10 in the first two months of this year. It also mean that a total of 16 ISA detainees are currently serving their fifth year of detention without trial.

Last September, the government renewed the detention of six alleged Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia members - including Nik Adli, the son of Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat of the opposition Islamic party PAS - who have been held without trial since August 2001.

Calling for detainees to be charged in open court or be released, Chang said "the alleged grounds of their detention made four years ago have yet to be proven in an open court and it is unconvincing for the government to extend their detention based on unproven grounds".

"We don't see any reform under the premiership of Pak Lah (Abdullah) after two-and-a-half years because detention without trial is a serious violation of human rights and a barbaric act," he stressed.

In reference to the premier's recent call to the United States to close its infamous Guantanamo Bay detention camp, Chang said the Malaysian government should first close down the Kamunting detention centre which is used to house the 100-odd ISA detainees.

On unknown fate of two detainees, Mohd Sha Sarijan and Shukri Omar Talib whose detention had expired last month, Chang expected them to be given a new two-year detention order. Another five detainees' detention meanwhile will expire by early next month.

Singaporeans deported?

In a related development, Chang also claimed that two Singaporean ISA detainees had been deported back to their home country early this week but the pair were detained by the Singaporean police upon their arrival, believed to be under the country's similar preventive security law.

The duo are brothers Muhammad Ismail Anuwarul and Abdul Rashid Anuwarul, who were also accused of having ties with the JI. The former's detention order expired on Feb 28 while the latter will expire early next month.

The Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, when contacted, was uncertain of their fate while the Singaporean Home Affairs Ministry has yet to verify the deportation when contacted by malaysiakini.

The ISA, which was enacted in 1960 in order to contain the communist insurgency, later earned notoriety when it was used to clampdown on political dissent.

A government-backed human rights commission had called for the act to be repealed and replace with a clearer security law while the royal police commission recommended the initial 60-day detention period under the ISA to be reduced to 30.

Minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, in his capacity as the parliamentary human rights caucus chief had also said ISA detainees who have been held more than two years should be released immediately or be charged in court.