By Lourdes Charles and Clara Chooi

KAMUNTING: The 13 Internal Security Act detainees finally set out from the detention facility yesterday after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had ordered their release on Friday.

They did not walk into the arms of waiting family, friends and supporters who had gathered outside the camp as early as 7am yesterday.

Instead, the detainees, except those from Sabah, were escorted straight home in police vehicles.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said it was only right for the police to escort the detainees home because it was their officers who had picked them up previously.

The detainees were led out in three batches.

The first group was the three foreigners released at 10.45am; followed by Hindraf's V. Ganabatirau and R. Kengadharan at 1.20pm.

The final eight detainees left at 1.25pm.

The three foreigners were Myanmar nationals Amir Hussain and San Khaing, and V. Sundaraj from India. They were taken out in an Immigration Department vehicle.

Ganabatirau and Kengadharan left the camp in police escort vehicles.

They were driven straight to their homes in Shah Alam and Kelana Jaya respectively.

The other eight walked out from the camp, but were immediately led into a police van.

The police light strike force arrived outside the camp at 11am as the crowd grew bigger.

Contractor C. Kanasa, from Selama, got his nephew N. Gobinaath, 15, to shave off his beard.

"I have been keeping this beard since the Hindraf five were detained on Dec 13, 2007. If Najib releases the other three, I will shave my entire head," he said.

The wives of Ganabatirau and Kengadharan said their husbands were looking forward to only one thing - reuniting with their families.

Kengadharan's wife, Dr M. Kalaivani, 41, said whether he would resume his activism remained to be seen, adding that his main priorities now were his family and career.

Like Ganabatirau, she said her husband was very upset that the other three Hindraf detainees were not released.

Ganabatirau's wife, B. Buwaneswary, 33, said that since her husband was detained in 2007, he had not once indicated that he had abandoned his beliefs.

The third batch which was released were Mohd Nazri Dollah, 34; Mohd Arasad Patangari; A. Artas A. Burhanuddin, 41; Francis Indanan, 41; Idris Lanama, 34; Binsali Omar and Pakana Selama - all Darul Islam Sabah members.

The sole Jemaah Islamiah member was Wan Amin Wan Hamat, 48.

Binsali thanked Najib for his release. He promised never to make the same mistake again.

"All I want is to return home to my family in Sandakan," he said.

Francis, a taxi driver, also thanked Najib and apologised for his wrongdoings.

Meanwhile, in Kuala Lumpur, Musa said the detainees from Sabah would return home today on a Malaysia Airlines flight.

They would spend the night in hotels, he added.

Musa said all the detainees had to be taken to the police station first as they had to be briefed about their conditional release.

-The Star/Asia News Network

Read also:
» Seven former ISA detainees arriving in Sabah today
» Our house a home again, says Kengadharan's wife
» Sweet taste of freedom for 13 ISA detainees