Although Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed that the ISA has served the nation well, the truth is that it has served him well. Mahathir appears to have confused threats to his own position with the exigencies of national security. But this is a man who has been in power so long that he no longer recognises any boundary between himself, his government and the State.

Any protest against him or his government counts as a protest against the State, hence, the voice of dissent can only have come from the mouths of traitors.

Since Mahathir has effectively merged his persona with the State, his use of public instruments such as the police, judiciary and mass media to achieve personal ends is not difficult to understand.

But no authoritarian regime can possibly survive for long without a vast underlying support structure. What requires comprehension is why so many individuals in public office are willing to condone and carry out Mahathir's orders at the cost of public interests. The public perception includes the ex-Attorney-General, Mohtar Abdullah, the chairman of the Anti-Corruption Agency, Abdul Murad Khalid, numerous puppet judges, cabinet minsters, MPs and now, the Inspector-General of Police, Norian Mai. Would not an honest person prefer to resign his office?

Perhaps it is a sad reflection on humanity in general that the brave and upright person is a rare jewel among those who are cowardly, morally flexible and susceptible to rewards. To ensure survival, Mahathir exploits these all too human characteristics to the full. After all, Barisan Nasional, especially Umno, works on a system of patronage, not on the basis of truth and justice, and no one wants to be next on the ISA list.

There are persistent reports of Mahathir holding on to 'black files' to ensure a person's continual obedience. These are the people who either remain silent over the worst abuses or come out publicly in support of them, such as the de facto Law Minister, Dr Rais Yatim, who not only shamelessly applauded the recent ISA arrests, but also blasted Suhakam for showing some spine. It was opposition leader Lim Kit Siang who reminded Rais of the latter's previous, diametrically opposite writings from less subservient days.

Only the grassroots can regain the country back from the corrupt politicians, but with so many handicaps, this will clearly not be an easy task. The nation's gradual awakening in the cruel light of the Anwar Ibrahim crisis has been met with even more brutal repression. But if we remain afraid, can we ever shake off this long nightmare?