DHAKA: Malaysia, in a rare out-of-court settlement, agreed Tuesday to pay an opposition lawmaker and five others US$63,000 after they were detained under a tough security law two years ago.

The six members of the Socialist Party of Malaysia were arrested in 2011 and imprisoned for almost a month under the Emergency Ordinance which allowed detention without trial, before a mass rally for electoral reforms.

Choo Chon Kai, one of those detained, said the government agreed to pay damages totalling 200,000 ringgit in return for the dropping of a civil lawsuit filed last year for wrongful arrest and detention.

Malaysia prime minister Najib Razak’s government scrapped the Emergency Ordinance and other tough security laws in December 2011 following criticism that they were abused to silence dissent.

BDST: 1940 HRS, OCT 08, 2013
RoR/RK