Perak to shut ISA Detention Camp!

The Pakatan Rakyat government said on Wednesday that it was taking steps to shut down the infamous Kamunting Detention Camp located in the northern state of Perak where dozens of people are being held under the Internal Security Act (ISA).The 240-acre (100-hectare) site, is located in Perak but owned by the federal government.

The opposition has joined civil society groups in demanding the government revoke the (ISA) and free all 63 detainees currently being held in Kamunting.

"We want the ruling government to remove the camp from the state. The opposition alliance is dead against the ISA," he told AFP. "We are also looking at how we can acquire the land legally."

"We want to use the land for other purposes. We can put up a hospital, religious schools or develop an industrial area for the benefit of the people," he said.

...one option could be to dramatically increase the 26,000-ringgit (7,500-dollar) annual land tax that the federal government currently pays on the site.

more