Dr Mahathir Mohamad's comments about the seven reformasi leaders currently detained under the Internal Security Act have clearly jeopardised their chances of getting a fair trial now. This whole scenario reminds me of the Anwar Ibrahim case - the day after the former deputy prime minister was arrested under the ISA, Mahathir made those damning allegations and said that he had 'proof' of Anwar's 'wrongdoings'.

Now the same thing is happening with the ISA Seven. Dr Mahathir has already said that these people are 'militants' who have collected bombs and grenade launchers in an attempt to topple the government. The Inspector-General of Police has loyally and dutifully backed these absurd allegations. Even if this case was brought to court, what are the chances that the seven will ever get a fair trial?. The verdict has already been delivered by Mahathir in that press conference - the 'message' has been sent to the members of the judiciary.

As pressure mounts on the government to either release the detainees or charge them in open court, Mahathir and the police is almost left with no choice now. They can either keep the seven detained under the ISA, which is politically a highly unpopular move (especially after the peaceful Black 14 gathering last Saturday), or, even more worrying, they will charge the seven for a charge similar to the one faced by the Al-Ma'unah group.

Malaysians in general have completely lost faith in the judiciary. My main worry now is that these seven ISA detainees will now become the victim of another high-level political conspiracy.

As far as I am concerned, there is no way the ISA seven can get a fair trial now after the statements made by the Prime Minister and the IGP.

A concerted effort should be focused now to demand that an independent inquiry be set up to investigate the allegations against the seven detainees. If they are tried in court now, the fear is that it will become another farcical trial, much like Anwar's.

It is indeed a sad day for Malaysia that it has come to this. The police have no more credibility and respectability and the judiciary is a big joke. For the ISA Seven, and indeed any average Malaysian, it seems as if there is no longer any avenue for justice.

Mahathir must be held responsible for this. If he thinks that arresting the reformasi leaders can divert people's attention away from the nation's deteriorating economy and standard of living, he is gravely mistaken.

If anything, this is just another one of his many 'unmitigated disasters', and it will haunt him for the rest of his life.