I write in the context of the escalating assault on freedom of speech and expression in Malaysia. The on-going witch-hunt on bloggers, the debacle over Namewee, the 'Negarakuku' rapper and most recently, the termination of Zainah Anwar's and Amir Muhammad's columns in the New Straits Times are highly alarming.

The intent of the state to monopolise and shrink critical public spaces for debates, particularly in the context of an early general election and contentious religious discourse, points to the brazen silencing of progressive and critical voices in Malaysia.

Given the political climate of Malaysia, persuading NST to reinstate these columns will undoubtedly fall on deaf ears, so I am urging Malaysians with social and political consciousness to rise up and boycott the NST . There are enough informative sources on the Internet and also other local newspapers from which Malaysians can obtain their news.

Citizens need to take action and shoulder the responsibility for a Malaysia that they desire and not merely wait for the next person to take action. It has to start somewhere. The time is now.

Coincidently, Zainah's last column , discussed her talk in 1995 at the Ministry of Home Affairs' Control of Publications Unit. She recommended (after listening to her own arguments for 30 minutes) that the unit be shut down given the global age of information technology where those in power no longer have control over the flow of information.

Furthermore, she writes that, "it is high time the government began a review of all the restrictive press laws and join the more than 70 countries in the world which have a Freedom of Information Act." Unfortunately, the powers-that-be probably do not take to her views too favourably.

Aside from her outspoken alternative views of governance, journalism, women and human rights and religious discourses, and her passionate unbending pursuit of social justice, I can't help but speculate that Zainah's column was axed in relation to her work with Sisters in Islam (SIS), an organisation that has been under heavy criticism for their work on Muslim women's rights within Islamic and human rights paradigms.

This fostering of a culture of fear and silence in Malaysia, particularly on freedom of information and religious discourse is a disservice to Malaysia's image and to Malaysians with critical consciousness.

Cosmopolitan citizens do not need the state to tell them the difference between black and white, right and wrong, fact and fiction and truth and falsehood. Cosmopolitan citizens need to demand an urgent review of draconian laws and acts that curb freedom of speech such as the Internal Security Act, Official Secrets Act, and the Sedition Act.

Zainah ends her critical piece with so much faith in her country: 'Surely, in our 50th year of independence, Malaysians have reached a level of maturity to listen to a multiplicity of voices, and in the end, separate truth from falsehood'.

With the termination of her column, it is evident that even in its 50th year of independence, the state is not brave or sincere enough to allow unrestricted public debate and continues to cling to the tight control of information and censorship to ensure truth remains within totalitarian control.

Steven Gan, of the malaysiakini website, once stated: 'We have freedom of speech. But not freedom after speech'. Sadly enough, this seems to ring true day after day.