Offer to free detainees

Press, 6 February 1982, Page 9

Offer to free detainees

NZPA-Reuter Kuala Lumpur The Malaysian Government said yesterday it had released 168 political detainees held without trial under its tough security laws since July last year and offered freedom overseas to the femaining 444 still under detention. The Deputy Prime Minister (Datuk Musa Hitam) said that Malaysia would offer the remaining detainees for adoption by’individuals and groups in “liberal countries”

who have been appealing to the Government for their release or trial. Malaysia would be willing to facilitate their departure from the country, Mr Musa added. The adoption offer was in response to numerous telegrams, letters, and appeals from foreign individuals and groups the world over demanding the release or trial of detainees held under the Internal Security Act, Mr Musa said. The London-based human

rights organisation, Amnesty International, had estimated in a 1979 report that about 1000 political prisoners were detained in Malaysia under the Security Act, more than 50 for more than eight years. However, the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Mahathir Muhammad) said soon after taking office last July that he would review the position of all those detainees held without trial under the act. A number of detainees, including a former Deputy Minister, had since been released.