'Order to arrest did not come from me' - the star

KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid said he did not order the arrests of the three people under the Internal Security Act (ISA. (the police cant simply use "ISA" authority without someone's direction. So who's the director here, if not you Datuk?)

He said the action was taken by the police themselves under Section 73(1) based on their assessment of the current situation as they had “strong and good reason” to believe that conflict could happen and public order could be jeopardised.

“Under this action, the police need not refer to me. It’s their discretion and their assessment of what happened. There has been no malice on their part,” he said Saturday at a press conference at Bukit Aman here...

On Friday, the police arrested Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin, Seputeh MP and Kinrara assemblyman Teresa Kok and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng under the ISA.
Tan was released Saturday afternoon.

Syed Hamid said the police had detained Tan because they had received information that her life was being threatened and there might be possible injury to her and the police wanted to get to the bottom of it. (oh, really???)

Syed Hamid said the police thought it was best to get first-hand information from Tan and thus took her in under the ISA and released her a day later after they got the necessary information and found no reason to hold her.

“I don’t think we are being unfair or that we mistreated her in any way. We acted professionally and after a day released her,” he said, when asked if Tan had posed a security threat in any way.

Asked why the police did not just ask Tan to come in for questioning instead of arresting her, Syed Hamid said it was always difficult when it came to the police when dealing with reporters.
“All of us are subject to the law. When the police feel it is best to bring the person in under ISA, they do so. I think the most important thing is not to exercise unfairness... (does this mean that the police can at anytime arrest someone under ISA for no reason, and then release them professionally when they indeed found no reason?? Great, wow...)

On Raja Petra, he said, the blogger had been given numerous warnings as well as been charged but he continued to create tension.

As for Kok, he said, she had supposedly questioned the sensitive issues such as the azan (call for prayers for Muslims) to be stopped and that could cause ill will and disharmony.

On why Ahmad was not detained for making racist comments, he explained that Umno had already punished him by suspending him for three years and stripping him from the party post while the police was also still investigating a sedition report against him. (err.. why not use ISA? you haven't given us any answer.. this person did not just create imminent disharmony, he HAVE ALREADY created one.. weird weird..)

When asked why action was not taken against other politicians like Datuk Seri Khir Toyo for racist remarks made, he said people should stop looking at things from an ethnic angle and start thinking as Malaysians. (oh.. so when it's about certain big ppl, we must start to think as Malaysians.. by the way, wat is your definition of "thinking as Malaysians?")

In a way, I'm sorry for him too.. he can't really find any reason to defend himself...

quoted from: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/13/nation/20080913193115&sec=nation