Internal Security Act

In the wake of World War II, a number of countries around the world introduced legislation that severely curtailed the rights of known or suspected Communists.

Malaya

British colonial Malaya introduced a set of Emergency Regulations in 1948 in response to a Communist uprising (hence named the Malayan Emergency). The Regulations allowed the police to arrest without evidence or warrant anybody suspected of having acted or being likely to act in a way that would threaten security, hold them incommunicado for investigation, and detain them indefinitely without the detainee ever being charged with a crime or tried in a court of law.

In 1960, three years after Malaysia's independence, the Emergency was declared over. However, a new Internal Security Act was passed in its place with much the same powers; in parliamentary debate, PM Tun Abdul Razak stated that the Act would only be applied against the remaining Communist insurgents. On its separation from Malaysia in 1963, Singapore also retained the ISA.

In practice, both countries have widely deployed the ISA to quash political opposition. Some of the better-known cases include:

• 1963: Operation Cold Store, a joint Malaysia-Singapore operation to arrest 117 opposition party and labor union leaders, some of whom were detained for up to 17 years
• 1966, Singapore: Chia Thye Poh, a member of the Barisan Sosialis, held for 23 years under the ISA without ever being charged
• 1987, Singapore: Operation Spectrum, 22 activists arrested
• 1987, Malaysia: Operation Lalang, 106 arrested, 40 detained for 2 years or more
• 1998, Malaysia: Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrested

The Internal Security Act remains in force in both countries.

United States

See McCarran Internal Security Act.