Keadilan supreme council member Dr Badrul Amin Bahron today said he was not allowed to hold party posts as a condition for his release after spending seven months in detention under the controversial Internal Security Act.

"They listed out six conditions for my release - one of them being a ban for me to hold any party position," Badrul told malaysiakini.

He added that he was also banned from participating in public gatherings and political talks.

The other conditions are related to his 'restricted residence' status - he is to be confined to the Gombak district where his house is located, report to the nearest police station every week, and give prior notice to the police should there be a change of address.

The last condition is good conduct.

Badrul said these conditions came in a letter issued by the detention authorities just before he was allowed to leave the Kamunting detention camp in Perak yesterday.

He added that given the conditions, he may not seek re-election in the upcoming party's election.

When asked, the former ISA detainee said he had spoken to party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail regarding the difficulty he faces in the Keadilan election, scheduled for this Saturday.

"She asked me not to push for it and follow instructions from the police," said Badrul, who was recently nominated for party supreme council member's post.

There are altogether 108 candidates running for the 20-member council.

Militant actions

Badrul was detained under the ISA - which allows detention without trial - for two years starting June, together with five other reformasi activists.

They include Keadilan leaders Tian Chua, Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, Lokman Noor Adam, Saari Sungib, and social activist-cum-malaysiakini columnist Hishamuddin Rais.

They were among 10 activists arrested by the police in April for being allegedly trying to topple the government using militant means, such as street demonstrations.

This had prompted condemnation from opposition parties, local non-governmental organisations as well as well foreign human rights groups, who claimed that the arrests were meant to silence the dissidents, a charge the government denies.

Of the 10, four had been subsequently released unconditionally.

Badrul said he would report himself at the Gombak district police station late this afternoon and seek clarification from the police on certain conditions of his release.

"I need to know what are the boundaries of Gombak and also get further details about the condition stating that I'm not entitled to hold any party position," he said.

"I will then consult my lawyers and decide if I could contest in the party's election," he added.

'Shocked but happy'

Describing his feelings about the unexpected early release, Badrul said he was "shocked but happy".

However, he added he was sad for the other five ISA detainees who are still being held in the detention camp.

"I met them for about five minutes just before I was released. They were happy for me even though they had to stay behind," he said.

Badrul is well known as a preacher and motivational expert before he joined Keadilan in 1999. Political speeches given by the Tawau-born Badrul are popular with many opposition supporters.

He is currently the party's Sabak Bernam (Selangor) division chief and a Youth leader in Sabah.

He received his first degree in Syariah Law from the Al-Azhar University in Egypt. He furthered his studies in the United Kingdom where he did comparative law at the University of Kent before earning his doctorate in philosophy from Birmingham.

He is also active in social work and is one of the promoters of the Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement, or Abim.