To those closely following the development of Bersih 2.0's rally for clean and fair elections slated for next Saturday, there is only one reason why the Barisan Nasional is reacting in such a hysterical and frantic manner: the federal government - in utter contrast to its ostensible self-assurance - subconsciously equates itself to the corrupt regimes in Egypt, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain.

In a society in which the electoral process is deeply flawed, the scale of a public protest is always a good way to gauge the legitimacy of the ruling elite. Even a relatively more democratic Great Britain has its fair share of popular discontent too, not to mention that Republicans in the U.S. were routed in the 2008 presidential elections thanks to the Iraq debacle.

NONE Which explains why the BN can ill afford to allow ordinary men and women to take to the streets against its will. In giving instructions to the mainstream media to reiterate the Bersih 2.0 rally as being an illegal assembly, the government hopes it may eventually deter the public from partaking in it.

Totally unsurprising to many is the accusations of foreign infiltration and a communist conspiracy that are repeated ad nauseam by Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian , but anyone who is shrew and perceptive enough should have no difficulties in concluding that BN is behaving like a commie.

A mainland Chinese friend of mine recently told me she was sick of the China Central News - broadcast live at 7pm daily - that is saturated with positive stories of the Chinese Communist Party and twisted information about others. I, in turn, lamented that Malaysia was fast sliding into a similarly sorry state - or worse.

A revival of communism? For this to be taken seriously, Wisma Putra should first sever ties with China and Cuba.

Analogies to anarchy in the Middle East

Another argument frequently employed to caution against Bersih 2.0 is that a mass social movement will land Malaysia into anarchy, as is increasingly the case across much of the Middle East. However, an analogy as such must be vigorously examined.

Unlike Malaysia, there are practically no effective opposition parties in many of the Middle Eastern countries. Elites in post-dictatorship Tunisia and Egypt were huddled into the corridors of power, while the general publics in their neighbouring nations are still crying for alternative representation, opening up the windows of opportunity for foreign infiltration.

This, of course, is not exactly the case in Malaysia. The BN is panicking precisely because it knows full well that, in the event of a regime change, Pakatan Rakyat is more than able to take over the administration. Nothing is farther from the minds of Malaysians than anarchy.

And Malaysians are not ignorant of the fact that foreign interventions are largely driven by selfish ends.

NONE As the military campaign against Libya enters its fifth month, all signs point that Nato is mired in a moral morass. More and more people back in Great Britain, France and the US are asking if it has been a wise decision to wage war while European economies are bogged down by unchecked fiscal imprudence.

Colonel Gaddafi's eccentric and tyrannical rule has indeed caused suffering, but a sudden burst of aerial strikes that clearly departed from the original meanings of UN Resolution 1973 risks setting an irresponsible precedent.

Why the costly war effort when billions in the European Union are awaiting serious commitment on the part of their national governments to tackling economic woes? The reckless pursuit of war only proves penny wise and pound foolish.

Italy - initially supportive of the military action - now calls for a ceasefire, suggesting widening rifts within Nato. Last Friday, the US House of Representatives voted against formal approval of Washington's participation in the combat in Libya, sending a strong message on illegality. Yes, checks and balances can only be for the better in any democracy.

Two weeks ago, CNN ran an in-depth report on allegations of rape against Gaddafi's forces, but provided only the flimsiest evidence to that effect. Despite the dearth of concrete details, the journalist went on to express in a sympathetic voice her horror at the story, showing only a woman's screams that were recorded on a cell phone. The entire episode could easily lead one to find the Gaddafi regime guilty as charged, the absence of hard evidence notwithstanding.

Like its Malaysian counterparts, CNN - or any other world media channel for that matter - should not be permitted to lay claim to being an angel when it comes to reporting on politics and war.

No one will doubt Colonel Gaddafi is capable of all sorts of atrocities, but it seems only that the international media relish in portraying crimes against humanity as peculiar to the enemy.

As Peter Dale-Scott points out : ‘this recurring history of falsified stories to justify interventions should be on our minds as we now face the allegations, as yet neither proven nor disproven, that Gaddafi has been using rape as a method to fight insurrection, and may have been guilty of raping victims himself."

All this evidence points to one conclusion: any infiltration by foreign elements is a double-edged sword and Malaysians are more than mature enough to decide for themselves.

Encouraging a clean-up, not an overthrow

The promotion of democracy in and of itself should be encouraged and welcomed by all. If Najib Abdul Razak and Hishammuddin Hussein Onn are confident of their popularity with the people, they ought to stand aside and let the masses march peacefully with their demands.

Acquiescing to the mainstream press's innuendoes of foreign intervention is only doing them disservice and undermining their credibility. After all, Najib has been proactively courting Western investment and projecting himself as a friend that the US can trust in doing business.

NONE Judging by the existing sentiments and the momentum that is building up, Malaysia appears to be on the cusp of democratic transition from the BN to a Pakatan Rakyat government made up of the influential Islamic party.

This scenario may not necessarily benefit the US and major European countries, which would naturally prefer Umno elites who are at least genuine converts to global capitalism. Had there been any conspiracy, it would have been aimed at perpetuating the BN rule in the first place.

No, the Bersih 2.0 rally is not about overthrowing the current government that was elected through a not-so-perfect electoral process. On the contrary, it seeks to apply more pressure on the Election Commission as well as on the BN to clean up the electoral system so that whichever party comes to power after the next general election, it will be christened with greater legitimacy.

Rest assured, there will not be war in sight.

JOSH HONG studied politics at London Metropolitan University and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. A keen watcher of domestic and international politics, he longs for a day when Malaysians will learn and master the art of self-mockery, and enjoy life to the full in spite of politicians.