I decided last month to take a break from my erstwhile blogging, if anything just to sniff through the musty air for some balance, some freshness, some insights for sanity...

permatang pauh by election polling day 260808 03 Alas, during and following the Permatang Pauh by-election, Malaysian politics had descended into crasser and baser meanness. Ethnic emotions have been stoked and charged upwards, with growing senseless and ad hominem rhetoric rising.

Political thuggery akin to Zimbabwe, Somalia and other failed states. Sadly, the embattled government is playing straight into the hands of a small band of unthinking, asinine 'territorial warloads'.

It is painfully clear that we have yet to be able to mature gracefully, without the insane retreat into tribalism and narrow-minded sectarianism.The current leadership seems to have become tone-deaf to the rakyat's concerns.

Thus, isn't it understandable that more and more of the rakyat are urging government to be more accountable and fair - eliminate wasteful projects, crony-laden practices and rampant corruption?

And change from the archaic model of patently racial divide and rule, into one of greater participation and inclusion. It is fervently hoped that race-based political parties might indeed be passé, soon in modern 21st century Malaysia.

The emergence, rising popularity and acceptance of Pakatan Rakyat is telling. They pose a severe threat to outdated Umno-dominated BN.

I am writing this during my lay-over in Dubai, en route to London, accompanying my son who is to begin his university studies at King's College.

Just before I left, my heart sank.

Arrests

raja petra to police station on burma doctor sd 040908 03 Blogger-extraordinaire of Malaysia Today, Raja Petra Kamaruddin had been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA). This morning, half a day later, opposition law maker and Selangor exco Teresa Kok and Sin Chew Daily Tan Hoon Cheng had also been detained under the same act.

Newspapers, which had exposed the antics of this racist taunt, were also given show-cause letters as to why they should not be sanctioned. Flying in the face of natural justice is this ludicrous and totally misguided move to sanction and punish the exposers and not the actual perpetrators of this terrible racially charged misdeed.

ahmad ismail Ironically indeed, the centre of the storm of these racist remarks and extremism—the unrepentant Umno chieftain Ahmad Ismail—has simply been given a slap on the wrist, suspended for 3 years from all Umno posts.

It appears that Umno’s government is stating in effect that if only the journalist hadn't reported on these outrageous racist remarks by the Umno leader, then there would not have been any knowledge of this simmering racial tension, deviously stoked by this repugnant man and his coterie of supporters.

Never mind that people on the ground had already been inflamed and jolted about being called “squatters”.

Oh, how can we peaceful Malaysians counter such bigotry, such calls for racial purity and protection which harks back to the days of Hilterism and Nazist ideology, or former South African apartheid regime? How can we ever hope to rebuild a newer more inclusive society that protects the rights and sanctity of all?

Worse this government is now resorting to all sorts of draconian laws to further extend itself.

We the rakyat must rise up and speak our mind for justice, fairness, freedom to express and live, with due protection of our laws and our Constitution.

We must not let ourselves be intimidated by these new fear-instilling extra-judicial acts from our common purpose to rid Malaysia of such excesses of governmental decadence!

anti isa sept 16 gathering kelana jaya stadium 160908 03 While we abhor and eschew all forms of violence, we urge the government to respect the rakyat's wishes and not dampen and dumb down our efforts to be heard!

By deceitfully creating a climate of fear and uncertainty, this government must not be allowed to fan and provoke public unrest. This would be to play into the hands of this beleaguered and unpopular leadership waiting to unleash possible emergency laws to promulgate and propagate their power indefinitely.

We urge our peace- and freedom-loving Malaysians to pray and speak out for the better good of our nations. I don't believe we are alone in this.

The world is watching, and we cannot allow this government to ride roughshod over all of us. The USA has already summoned our embassy staff to protest. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are condemning this desperate act of our current leadership.

Internal dissent

zaid ibrahim pc 110608 03 Even the government's own de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim has protested these actions which he felt were totally inexcusable and has threatened to resign. (Zaid tendered his resignation yesterday Sept 15)

Zaid Ibrahim stated that "We have a government that commits to laws and reforms, we can't be using old-style politics or resort to creating fear. We have laws and they (the detainees) should be charged in court... The problem with the ISA now is that it is used against certain people, it is a very unjust law."

dr s subramaniam Another minister (human resources minister) Dr S. Subramaniam chipped in "the prospect of a person being detained without a chance of being heard and to defend himself is against the grains of present day popular belief," and that "a government sensitive to the feelings of the people cannot be blind to the fact that a significant proportion of the rakyat abhor the ISA."

Let's hope common sense will prevail finally, and a new dawn will rise for a truly resplendent and modern liberated Malaysia.

In the meantime, all Malaysians must call for these freedom fighters to be set free immediately.

This untenable ISA should be repealed and its arbitrary acts must be laid to rest forever.

Enough is enough, we cannot afford such callous abuse or any more of the same ineptitude to go on and on! It's time to call this government to accounts. It's time to say it's time for change!

DR DAVID KL QUEK is interested sociopolitical affairs, social justice, health matters, professionalism and ethics. He is past editor-in-chief of the MMA (Malaysian Medical Association) News for 11 years and currently president-elect of the MMA.