Five awarded RM4.06mil over unlawful detention under ISA

The ‘Reformasi 6’ who spent two years in Kamunting

(The Star) – Five people, including Batu MP Tian Chua, have been awarded more than RM4.06mil in damages over their unlawful detention under the Internal Security Act in 2001.

High Court judge Lau Bee Lan ruled on Tuesday that the detention of Tian Chua, Selangor PAS information chief Saari Sungib, activists Hishammudin Rais and Badaruddin Ismail and PKR supreme council member Badrulamin Bahron under Section 73 of the Internal Security Act 1960 was unlawful.

The five had sued former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Norian Mai and two others for unlawful detention under the ISA and for defamation.

(The award covers RM15,000 a day for the total number of days that they had been detained).

Justice Lau also awarded Tian Chua, Hishammudin, Saari and Badrulamin RM60,000 in general damages and RM40,000 in aggravated damages in total based on grounds that the words uttered by Norian during a press conference in April, 2001 in relation to the detention was defamatory.

She ruled that the detention was not based on the safety of the country but more towards political considerations.