The government released four Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) suspects last Friday on condition that their movements be restricted.

The suspects, detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) since 2002, were released conditionally under the Restrictive Residence Act (1933).

They join 17 former detainees - a mix of JI and Kumpulan Militan Malaysia (KMM) suspects who were released last October.

The four released are Ahmad Yani Ismail, Mohd Sha Sarijan, Roshelmy Mohd Sharif and Abdullah Mohamed Noor. All were sent to the Kamunting detention centre between February and March 2002.

The Abolish ISA Movement (GMI) welcomed the release. However, it also called on the government to release the others held under the ISA.

Selective release

"GMI is annoyed by the selective release of ISA detainees. There are scores of detainees who are still being detained ... for the same allegations as those who were released. None of them have been tried in court.

"Why only four were released after four years when all of them are being accused of committing the alleged same crime and have not been proven guilty?" asked GMI in a statement today.

GMI said other JI suspects should be released because Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan had announced this year that there were no longer any JI movement in Malaysia.

On the same note, GMI said the ISA and Restrictive Residence Act should be repealed because they contradict the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

There are an estimated 70 detainees who are detained under the ISA.

Meanwhile, GMI announced that it would launch a signature campaign calling for the release of the remaining detainees.

It's chairperson Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said some 15,000 signatures have been collected. GMI is targeting 25,000 signatures and intends to present them to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).