The use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) is the cruellest form of control in a country where democracy is supposed to be the order of the day in this 21st century.

Few people would ever forget Operation Lallang in 1987 during Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s rule and of late, the arrest of the famous three – Raja Petra Kamarruddin, Teresa Kok and Tan Hoon Cheng – has also raised ire amongst Malaysians from all walks of life.

On the streets, even the silent majority are beginning to speak out against the justification given by the police for the use of ISA to detain Sin Chew Daily reporter, Tan, when they could have offered her protection instead.

It may be a coincidence that Raja Petra represents the bloggers and the virtual community at large, while Kok and Tan represent the political parties and members of the media, respectively.

If arresting the three under the ISA has created more dissent amongst the people who fall into either one of the three categories, one only wonders whether the situation would only worsen when more people are placed under ISA.

Those in authority should by now be asking whether there is a mastermind behind all these instigations and political agitations that we see happening. Instead of carrying out with more arrests of unarmed civilians under the ISA, the instigators and perpetrators of should not be allowed to go scot-free.

Dr Mahathir in his website has said that unity amongst Malaysians is almost impossible. He has every right to an opinion, but most Malaysians today would join me in saying that we do in fact have many friends from other races.

Although we may be Indians, Malays or Chinese outwardly, we are all Malaysians at heart. With the exception of a few politically-motivated individuals who play the racial card, Malaysians generally can and will unite as one race, one voice and one nation.

It is only certain perpetrators of the divide and rule policy who hate to see the races come together as one people, for fear that their corrupt practices will be exposed. Malaysians will never forget what happened in the past, but we have to be ready to move forward.

Someone once said, " Melayu Mudah Lupa " (Malays easily forget). Ask any of our Malay friends, if they have forgotten who made this statement. Likewise, Malaysians will find it hard to forget what happened on Sept 13.

Instead of helping to resolve issues pertaining to race relations, the ISA arrests have had adverse effects. Peace makers in the country would do better by bringing together the various parties and talking about their own grievances, instead of cracking the whip on the donkey and letting the hyena go free.

Thirty years ago, Tunku Abdul Rahman had to step down when he came under similar pressure from certain quarters. Are we allowing history to repeat itself? Do we want to see the government destabilised by individuals motivated by hatred against Pak Lah?

In my opinion, the people are not against the government, but against the perpetrators of racism, who seek to use the same modus operandi some 30 years ago to force Pak Lah to step down.

It is time that the government realises that using the same methods applied back in 1987 will be self defeating. Instead, the government should turn its focus on the perpetrators of racism who seek to create similar situations during Tunku’s time to achieve their selfish objectives.

Why must the authorities use the ISA when there are other laws to charge the perpetrators of racism in this country? Why charge the innocent who speak the truth?