Police Acted to stop threat

Police used the Internal Security Act(ISA) based on the escalation of insensitive racial and seditious remarks made by individials that caused racial unrest and religious tensions in the country.
Depity Inspector- General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said police invoked the ISA because the actions of these individuals"if not curtailed would cause public disorder and be a threat to national security."
"An arrest under the ISA is only made when police strongly believe that certain acts by individuals pose a serious threat to public order and national security." "And these are grounds on which we based the decision and acted accordingly under Section 73(1) of the ISA," he said in a statement yesterday.
Ismail said that in the case of Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, she was released soon after police verified that there were no grounds to detain fer further.
Tan, 33, was released on Saturday after being detained for 18 hours.
Ismail said in the case of malaysia Today editor raja Petra Kamarudin and Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, police have 60 days under the Act to investigate."But any time within that period, if we can establish that they do naot pose a threat to national security, the two can be released," he said, adding that if there was cause, police could submit the case to the Home Minister, datu Seri SYed hamid Albar.
"We will sumit to him with the recommendation that they be detained under the minister 's order of detentionunder 8(1) of the ISA (where the person can be deatained for up to two years," he added