Dr M lied about ISA, says ex-detainee Tajuddin

(Bernama) – Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been accused of lying by saying it was not him who signed detention orders under the Internal Security Act.

Umno Supreme Council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, a former ISA detainee, said yesterday that only the Home Minister could issue a detention order.

Dr Mahathir’s disclaimer on Wednesday about who had signed detention orders was untrue and was an attempt to clean his hands of the ISA, Tajuddin said.

(Dr Mahathir was the home minister from March 1986 to January 1999, with the late Megat Junid Megat Ayob as his deputy.)

Tajuddin said Mahathir was not being fair by trying to push responsibility to the late Megat Junid , who was then the deputy home minister.

In a report on Wednesday, Mahathir had denied allegations that he was the person responsible for signing detention orders under the ISA. (The Act was abolished in 2012.)

Megat Fairouz Junaidi, son of Megat Junid, had wanted Dr Mahathir to stop accusing his late father as being the person responsible for signing the ISA detention orders at the time.

However, Tajuddin told reporters yesterday: “I was an ISA detainee who was interrogated in 1987 during Operasi Lallang. I believe that Mahathir issued the order for detention.

“As a detainee, I was informed that so long as the Home Minister did not sign the release letter in 60 days, I cannot be released.”

He hoped the Home Ministry or the police could open up their old files to provide confirmation. “All questions will be answered if KDN or the police could open their old files to clarify the matter,” he said.

Tajuddin said Mahathir’s attempt to detach himself from the ISA issue might have been due to his political alliance with the opposition such as DAP, PKR and Amanah.

“Mahathir is trying to push the responsibility to other people in an attempt to clear his name of the ISA,” he added.