A few evenings ago, I watched an international news agency channel and saw some sad scenes of the eve of Russia's general election. Open campaigning in major cities were heavily monopolised by President Putin's party. Opposition workers - middle-aged women looking scared and defeated, muffled in fur hats and thick coats against the falling winter snow - were reduced to creeping about at night, furtively pressing pamphlets into the hands of passerbys or posting them to apartment letter boxes.

As a member of a Malaysian opposition party for almost nine years, my heart went out to them. Things may not be as bad here. Certainly our prime minister is far more affable than the sinister-looking President Putin. But if one looks at the whole political scenario here, there are some very uncomfortable similarities.

The present government leaders love to repeat the same mantra repeated all over the world by leaders of pseudo-democracies - that we have regular elections and everyone is free to vote. Yes, that is true. But this alone is not enough to ensure free and fair elections, let alone a healthy, dynamic and progressive political atmosphere which can guarantee greater stability and prosperity for our country.

All pseudo-democracies employ the same tactics to ensure that the ruling party or dictator gets to stay in power ad infinitum. Media control, gerrymandering, repressive laws, abuse of the police or army to gather political intelligence for the ruling party, clampdown on dissent, selective enforcement of laws favouring the ruling party, prosecution of opposition leaders for petty offences, creating a culture of fear (of the opposition, of change), forcing government employees to support the ruling party (as if the ruling party pays their salaries), an education system that fosters slavish obedience to authority rather than critical thinking and individual opinion this is the stuff of George Orwell's "1984", originally taken to describe a typical communist state.

Although communism itself is mostly a spent force, the same modus operandi, in various forms and combinations, is alive and well in many countries including some that were vociferous critics of communist-style government, such as Malaysia.

Such tactics, of course, often succeed in perpetuating the ruling party's power. But they also have many other effects which gradually but inexorably damage the country. Firstly, although world leaders may offer official congratulations to the winner of an unfair election, they will know just how that victory was won. In subsequent dealings with this country, there will be little respect and confidence in forging a meaningful working relationship.

The country's voice on the world stage will not be taken seriously. Universal demands for democracy and good governance is neither a mere patronising imposition by rich nations upon poorer ones, nor is it a foolish obsession of idealistic dreamers. It is the basis for mutual trust and respect between nations upon which to build partnerships.

When a government engineers a situation where there is no effective opposition, no check-and-balance mechanisms, its leaders inevitably become complacent and arrogant, their decision-making sloppy. If this is not bad enough, it seems that rampant corruption is also a common feature of authoritarian governments, causing poor implementation of even the good policies.

Corruption also ends in unsafe buildings, dangerous drivers still on the roads, gangsters free to carry on their activities, most projects being over-priced and little benefit to the majority of the people. Overly-conformist citizens (not to be confused with loyal citizens) become passive, apathetic and uncreative. They rely on the government to do everything for them. This attitude will definitely fail to build a competitive nation, essential nowadays for surviving globalisation.

Nowadays, governments which overly indulge in propaganda and slanted "news" are especially liable to have their half-truths and lies exposed by the alternative media, which is available over the Internet and is now virtually impossible to stifle. The government's credibility quickly evaporates and has a negative impact not only on the success of their political propaganda. It also damages the country's prosperity, the people's confidence in government statements, promises and policies and eventually confidence in the government itself.

This is disturbing, unsettling and can lead to a gradual breakdown of this country's administration. Furthermore, when people realise that they have been made fools of, they are not usually pleased and will unite in anger towards government leaders for cheating them. Is this not what the Bersih and Hindraf rallies were largely about? Communist governments mostly sank ignominiously if slowly. If we don't stop the rot, Malaysia might end up the same way.

The writer is member of Parti Keadilan Rakyat's supreme council.