By Baradan Kuppusamy
In the old days the aristocracy the world over could pass by your hut, size up your wife or daughter or your harvest and take one or all.
There were laws in traditional society but the king was above the law and there was nothing you could do.
Today's rulers use the ISA for the same purpose and in the same manner - to silence critics, curb dissent, decimate the political opposition and above all stay in power.
Leaving rebel minded former de facto lawyer minister Zaid Ibrahim aside, even a establishment man like Tengku Razaliegh Hamzah, a prince, opposes the use of the ISA against legitimate dissent.
The ISA is a primitive and powerful weapon of statecraft to strike fear into the hearts of critics, political opponent and ordinary people.
But it is a tool of the past and any democracy worth its salt must give it up.
In recent weeks the fear of ISA has been easing among ordinary people, and many of them have been boldly gathering to oppose the ISA.
The opposition, who were frequent victims of the ISA, have always protested detention without trial.
But now ordinary people, cabinet ministers, the Catholic church and ulama from PAS and Hindu priests have all linked up to oppose the ISA seeing it as an evil in a democratic society. ... seterusnya DI SINI
- TMI
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