Last woman detained under ISA released today (PHOTO)

TAIPING (Nov 9, 2011): The last woman detainee under the Internal Security Act (ISA) was today released from Taiping Detention Centre, Kamunting.

The 48-year-old detainee, held for 217 days for human trafficking, described the detention centre as the best place to undergo the rehabilitatiion process.

"I thank God for giving me the chance to return to my family and society. I want to repent and I won't repeat the mistake. As Malaysian citizens, we have to be loyal to our country," she told reporters at Taiping Detention Centre here.

The woman who was released at 4.30pm said she did not want to dwell on the past and wants to build a new life with her two sons, aged 29 and 25.

While in detention, the former shipping clerk said she learnt handicraft skills, attended religion, science and other classes to keep herself busy.

She thanked the Home Minister, officers and staff of the detention centre and Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) for making her release possible.

The woman who should have been detained two years under ISA was held on April 7. She was among four women detained at in the past 10 years. Three of them have been released.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the woman's release was conditional and was based on evaluations of religious, psychological and counselling aspects.

"Detention of subjects under ISA is in accordance with the government's stand to maintain security and public order and to allow further investigations," he said.

Taiping detention centre director Mohd Roslen Ramly said the number of detainees undergoing rehabilitation at the centre stand at 37.

Of the number, 14 are Malaysian citizens while 23 are foreign nationals.

"Thirty are here for human trafficking, two for falsifying documents and five for their ideology namely Jemaah Islamiyah Malaysia and Jemaah Santri Melayu," he added. – Bernama