After reading the Q&A between Suhakam chairperson Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman and the top brass of the police force, one can only conclude that to the police, especially the top officers, human rights is only applicable to their own rights as a law enforcers.

The statement by Abu Talib that the ISA should be repealed eventually seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Those arrogant and `overzealous' police officers seem to adopt the same old colonial attitude that everyone is a suspect. But then, they get very upset when people accuse them of being corrupt.

Perhaps the police are are right in classifying criminal suspects as such but they must bear in mind that it is not correct to treat peaceful demonstrators as 'animals'.

It is also a known fact that many senior police officers are against the ISA. And many had spoken out against it after their retirement. These people are probably aware that once they are no longer wearing the police uniform, they no longer possess power. Abu Talib is certainly right when he mentioned that power is never meant to be forever.

The police, especially the Muslim officers, have to be very careful and not over react when dealing with matters of security. "National security" should never be abused in police work.

They must also remember that they will retire one day and become ordinary members of the public. Surely, they do not wish other police officers to abuse their power on them then.