I refer to the Malaysiakini report, Malek: My ISA detention horror .

One would cringe to read the tale of torture while Abdul Malek Hussin was detained under the notorious Internal Security Act. Only in other despotic countries like Zimbabwe and Burma do you hear of such cruel tale of people being tortured because of their political belief.

Malek is not the first to suffer emotional and bodily harm while under detention. Other brave souls have shared the same fate. If a former deputy premier of this country can be beaten to a pulp by the then police chief, who had also rendered Malek black and blue with a red boxing glove, what hope lies for other common people if they were detained under the ISA for exercising their rights as citizens of this country.

The historical court judgment where a sum of RM2.5 million was awarded to Malek should send a clear message to the police force not to use brute force against detainees to extract 'confessions' or to turn them over. While civil bodies and decent Malaysians welcome the brave decision of justice Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus in castigating the police, especially the former IGP for his brutish behaviour towards Malek, public funds (read: taxpayers' hard-earned money) will still be used to pay Malek.

The British colonial rulers had used ISA to curb communist insurgents in the early 40s and 50s but our present leaders used the same notorious law to curtail civil liberties of their political opponents. This is morally wrong. Only insecure leaders who are afraid of their own shadows will use the ISA to silence their critics.

One can only hope there will come a time when ISA will be abolished and we can be proud to proclaim that we are a thriving democracy where the rule of law is fully observed by all and political opponents are not incarcerated for their political belief.

The government of the day should listen to dissenting voices without rancour as the grouses raised by them such as endemic corruption, abuse of power by the ruling elite, price increase and other social ills are affecting the common people more than the political elites.

To paraphrase Shakespeare, it's not that we love our leaders less (at least for those who are clean and hardworking to raise the standard of living of the poor and the downtrodden) but we love our country more.