Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has accepted blame for the detentions of over 100 activists, journalists and opposition politicians during Operasi Lalang 30 years ago.
He has also expressed regret that some detainees were tortured during the incarceration under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
However, Mahathir stopped short of apologising for the incident, insisting that the crackdown was not his decision.
"I accept the blame even though the detention was not my decision.
"I am now told that detainees were tortured. I regret that the detainees in Ops Lalang were tortured. This is against the law," he wrote on his blog today.
A total of 106 people were detained under the ISA during Operasi Lalang in October 1987.
Mahathir, who was then prime minister and home minister, has repeatedly stated that Operasi Lalang was conducted by the police and he had no power to object to the detention order.
In his blog, the nonagenarian said he had always been against detention without trial, and had released 21 ISA detainees when he first came to power.
He added that this was something none of his predecessors - who used the ISA - had done.
"I did that because I did not like detention without trial ever since Aziz Ishak was detained," Mahathir said.
Aziz was a former member of first premier Tunku Abdul Rahman's post-Merdeka cabinet.
He was detained under the ISA after being accused of conspiring with Indonesia against Malaysia during the 1963 conflict between both countries.
Mahathir said he had hoped that during his tenure as premier, he would not have to detain anyone under ISA.
"I had asked the police whether we could do without the ISA. They did not agree, not even to reduce (the) detention (period) to one year." - Mkini
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