By Aliza Jaffar 
Aliran Online

The journey from Ulu Klang to Kamunting takes about three hours. Our family leaves from home at about 7 a.m. every weekend to meet my husband, who has been at the Kamunting Detention Camp since 2 June 2001. 

Our friends and relatives take turns in accompanying us, using their cars or vans. This lightens the burden of travel expenditure including the tolls, which comes up to about RM56 for a return journey.

Every time we pass by Gua Tempurung near Ipoh, we recall the time when we as a family joined our children’s school exploratory expedition there in 1999. Every year, we organise family activities such as camping, jungle-trekking, mountain-climbing, and cave and recreational forest exploration. Through these activities, my husband trained us to be resilient, to be independent, to build self-confidence, and to appreciate Nature as God’s creation. 

Most importantly, these activities helped to increase the love and respect between our children and us. Every time my husband took us mountain-climbing, it was a lesson in building confidence and resilience. 

He would give our children and me every encouragement to persevere in our ascent until we reached the peak. When we succeeded in conquering the summit, after struggling during the ascent, it brought fresh insights. It was a huge lesson for us: we would not be easily vanquished in life and we would overcome all difficulties in life the same way we succeeded in conquering the mountain.
Three Categories of Fruit 

Today, I was busy organising our teenage children who are taking part in the Bukit Taboh Expedition in Ulu Klang. I could not join them because the wives of the other detainees and I had our own programme. My life now is not the same as it was before. 

In those days, I could sew our children’s clothes myself and manage the household besides helping with my husband’s work. Now, every day, I focus on the weekly 45-minute meeting with my husband in Kamunting. The preparations for the trip have become a routine before our departure for Kamunting.

Although the journey to and fro and the visiting time take up a whole day, it is something we eagerly await. We miss him and he too looks forward to our visits. Since 10 April 2001, love has been snatched from us. We cannot talk over the phone even though we are separated by great distance. Only one letter from him every week. Our 45-minute visit is so precious to us, who have to bear the consequences of the ISA’s cruelty. 

We are allowed to bring along three categories of fruit. One category comprises apples, pears, oranges, guava and kiwi fruit (12 pieces in all). The second category is made up of rambutans, longan, grapes, langsat, and bananas - 1 kg only. The third category is durians and nangka, also 1 kg. 

We are also allowed to bring six books (three general reading and three religious) and three magazines. All this material will be vetted and recorded before being handed to my husband. 

When my husband was first detained in the Kamunting Camp, he was allowed visits by many relatives including his in-laws and cousins. After a month, the camp authorities listed the immediate family members: only the children and I, my husband’s siblings, his parents, and my parents were allowed to meet him. The other relatives and my friends were only allowed to accompany us to the second gate but were then ordered to turn back and go out of the main entrance. 

Actually, there is a waiting shelter in front of the second gate. Each time they give us such orders, our hearts bleed. Sometimes, they are given orders to check out our car boot. 

Visiting rules restrict the number of visitors at any one time to five adults. I have taken six of our children who have identity cards. The camp authorities stressed that only five people could meet him first. Only after one of the children had come out could the remaining one enter. Such is the ‘penalty’ imposed on us. How do they have the heart to do such a thing to my children who are innocent. 

During the visit, we are separated by gauze netting. Don’t the authorities who implement these ISA rules have families and children of their own? With all the power at their disposal, can they live without their spouses and children beside them? No, they don’t care a bit about our tears - we who have become the victims of their greed and craze for status and position. Their greed has blinded them, made them deaf, and shrouded their hearts. How low and despicable can they get.
Nightmares 

My children’s feelings and emotions have been in turmoil. They are not excelling in their studies like before. They are more interested in playing and taking part in school co-curricular activities. Perhaps this way, they can forget about the sense of loss they feel over their father’s absence. Perhaps this way they can release themselves from the lingering fear that their mother may be arrested next. It’s not impossible. I was detained in a police cell for a night on 15 July 2001 after dispersing from a peaceful assembly of supporters of justice who were marking the 100th day of my husband’s (and the others’) detention. The 36 people arrested and I were released on bail pending our court hearing on 3-4 October. Perhaps the presence of the police and the Federal Reserve Unit and the water cannon spray continues to give my children nightmares. 

The police have lost their people-friendly image. Each time we and the families of the other ISA detainees meet Suhakam - whether to make a complaint relating to our spouses’ detention in Kamunting or to accompany the families of new ISA detainees - red-helmeted police personnel and sometimes FRU trucks can be seen near the Suhakam building. Once, when we were being feted by JIM at an evening reception in the compound of the JIM Complex, they were also there, fully equipped with canes and dogs to disrupt the reception even though it was clear that food had been served and many women and children were present. I couldn’t help asking myself, “Is Malaysia a democracy or a police state” 

My husband and the other five political detainees have been punished by those detaining them. Until now, no evidence has been furnished to substantiate the allegations that the Inspector General of Police has hurled at them. The IGP has slandered them because no evidence can be seen and yet, they continue to be detained under the ISA. The laws of Malaysia are actually sufficient to charge a person for any offence. So why do they still resort to the ISA? 

It is clear the detainees are victims of the ISA, which has cruelly violated their human rights. The people cannot accept repressive laws such as the ISA. My husband and his colleagues are not guilty and must be freed immediately. Send them back to the families who love them dearly. My children and I will continue the struggle the same way we persevere in conquering mountain peaks. 

The people should not just sit by and watch our suffering…maybe one day the ISA will snare their own loved ones.