The coup d'etat in Thailand should serve as a timely reminder to all Malaysians as to the risks of allowing our democratic institutions to be undermined by so-called 'strong' leaders.

We should not equate strong government with strong democratic institutions. We had a strong government under the previous prime minister but our democratic institutions (in particular an independent judiciary and a vibrant parliament) were severely weakened by him for his political ends.

There are some readers who have written in begging the former PM to come back into power. I would strongly urge them to reconsider their position in the light of the events in Thailand. While it is tempting to have a strongman in power - it is false comfort because such strong personalities tend to create power vacuums as they constantly undermine their deputies, put weaker persons and 'yes' men under them who will not dare challenge them.

All this leads to poorer policy-making due to group-think. The lack of plurality in thinking is not a sign of strength - it is a foreshadowing of unchallenged and untested policy propositions that in the long run will lead to mistakes. Likewise, the lack of plurality in our political and religious discourse is a sign of impending weakness and errors in our policy-making capability.

It also goes to reinforce the danger of personality cults. Individuals do not last forever - they are only mortals. Strongmen like Suharto, Mao Zedong and their like provided only transient and fleeting stability to their nations. Once their power ebbed, their nations were plunged into turmoil.

Recall the 1998 riots in Indonesia and the tragic Cultural Revolution in China. Only strong democratic institutions can survive from one generation to another. Hence the importance of renewing our democratic institutions which is the only guarantee of political stability and vitality of our nation.

Another important historical point often overlooked is the aim (and dare I say wisdom) of our former British colonial administration was the creation of the strong and vital police force to counterbalance power of the army. The experience of many former colonies had suggested that an unchecked army and weak democratic institutions and traditions provided the ideal conditions for military takeover.

Our neighbourhood is littered with examples past and present: Burma, Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Fiji and today, Thailand. Our police and armed forces are there not only to counter internal and external threats to our nation but also to counterbalance each other so that civilian political rule can be maintained.

We are fortunate that military takeovers are not a fact of life in Malaysia - however we should not take for granted, much less undermine, the built-in checks and balances in our political system.

Hence the need for an independent judicial review of the events leading to the sacking of the former Lord President Salleh Abas and our formerly independent judiciary by the former PM in 1988 screams at us. Are we to turn a deaf ear, yet again, to the call for justice for our very own system of justice? Do not underestimate the damage that was done then and the lingering effects that remain till today.

Companies and banks, both domestic and international, prefer to use other jurisdictions (often United Kingdom and Singapore) for recourse to contractual disputes. This deprives our ailing legal system and fraternity of much-needed experience to hear and decide on more complex issues of the law.

Also, there remain doubts as to the level of control our civilian leaders assert over our armed and police (in particular) forces. Recent events have suggested that our police chiefs (past and present) believe themselves less and less subject to civilian control. This is not encouraging. If our police force has nothing to hide, then why does it fear civilian calls for instituting the IPCMC? Continued deaths in custody, allegations of corruption and graft only serve to undermine the reputation and effectiveness of our police force.

Thailand has all the ingredients to overtake Malaysia economically bar one - military coups. If our politicians tell us "tidak apa" or "business as usual", kindly point them at Thailand, their suspended parliament and their now deposed strongman Thaksin Shinawatra, who is now stuck in the United States and may not be able to return to govern.