November 17, 1998

His Excellency Dr. Mahathir bin Mohammad
Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister's Department
Jalan Dato Onn
50502 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Your Excellency:

We, the undersigned faculty members at  Hampton University, are utterly dismayed and deeply saddened by the recent political events in Malaysia. While we recognize that it is your prerogative as Prime Minister to dismiss your cabinet ministers, we regret to note that you chose to disregard even the elementary principles of the due process of law by arresting your former Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Anwar Ibrahim, under the Internal Security Act, a  notorious legacy of the British colonial rule,               hich gives unlimited powers to the government  and no judicial remedy to the accused. What is  even more disturbing is the way the police authorities in Malaysia are trying to obtain  "confessions" from witnesses who will be paraded before the court in order to illegally convict Mr. Anwar Ibrahim. International media  is unanimous in their reports that Mr. Anwar Ibrahim was beaten while in police custody. It is  inconceivable that the police officials could  subject the former Deputy Prime Minister to this  brutal treatment without your instructions or  approval. As the former Phillipine President   Corazon Aquino said: "National leaders may  disagree on how best to govern [their] countries, but there is only one way to treat people, even  political opponents, and that is with decency, fairness and non-violence."

In arresting Mr. Anwar Ibrahim, you undermine your own credibility as an ardent critic of  Western hypocrisy. In condoning such arbitrary arrests and abusive treatment of political  prisoners, you can no longer credibly claim that  Malaysia or Asia can serve as alternative  models of human rights and democracy.

It is our earnest hope that Mr. Anwar Ibrahim and his associates who have been arrested  under ISA or under the Penal Code will be given  a fair trial and due process of law will be followed.

We also regret the erosion of civil liberties, freedom of the press, freedom of expression and  freedom of assembly in recent weeks in  Malaysia and ask the government to restore the  fundamental democratic rights of its citizens  and refrain from punishing them for their political  opinions.

As well wishers of Malaysia, we have followed  its socio-economic progress and political  development with keen interest and great  appreciation; we only wish that Malaysia stays  the course.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mumtaz Ahmad - Prof. of Political Science
Dr. Steven J. Rosenthal - Prof. of Sociology
Dr. M. B. Sillah - Assoc. Prof. of Pol. Science
Dr. J. M. Hendrickson - Assoc. Prof of Pol. Sci.
Dr. Adam J. Conte - Professor of History
Dr. Javed Jaffree - Assoc. Prof of Chemistry
Dr. Mabel M. Khawaja - Assoc. Prof of Egglish
Dr. E. J. Holmes - Assoc. Prof of Psycology
Dr. Dana L. Sample - Asst. Prof of History
Dr. E. Onyedike - Assoc. Prof of Mass Media