ISA

My cabinet colleagues and I gave a solemn promise to Parliament and the nation that the immense powers given to the government under the ISA (Internal Security Act) would never be used to stifle legitimate opposition and silence lawful dissent

by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia. The draconian ISA allows detention with trial but despite this reassuring undertaking, the ISA had been abused for decades to stifle political protests in Malaysia.