PERMISSION TO DETAINEE TO SEE MP

Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Home Affairs and Second Minister for Law why a prisoner may not be allowed to see a Member of Parliament if he wishes to.

Prof. S. Jayakumar: I believe the Member for Anson is referring to the case of Chia Thye Poh who is detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA). Chia was a member of the illegal Communist Party of Malaya (CPM). Chia was specifically instructed by the CPM to penetrate the Barisan Sosialis and engage in Communist United Front agitation to destabilise the Government. This he did by mounting a series of illegal demonstrations and industrial strikes. Chia was therefore placed under preventive detention in November 1966.

Under the Internal Security (Detained Persons) Rules 1960, only close relatives of the detainees, their legal counsel, and members of the Board of Inspection comprising prominent members of the public, are allowed to visit them. There is discretion to allow visits by other relatives or friends. Unfortunately, in the 1960's Barisan Sosialis Assemblymen visited ISA detainees and abused the privileges. They interfered with Government's efforts to rehabilitate them. They had encouraged the detainees to remain steadfast in their stand against the Government, so that their continued detention could be used to embarrass the Government. Since then the privilege of MPs to visit detainees has been withdrawn.

We have permitted the Member for Anson to see Chia as his legal counsel.